Defend Direct Action
March, NRW Germany.
Received anonymously via email:
“End of march, two towers destroyed by a group of hunt saboteurs in North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
cameras are important tools for hunters, not only to identify animals, but may also serve as evidence in cases of property damage.
always be on the lookout for cameras, some even have integrated sim cards and can be viewed from anywhere!”
30th March, North of Italy
Received anonymously via email:
“second action against Coldiretti
responsible for policies to increase hunting activity, the consumption of animal products and the opposition to the transition to plant food, which with the support of the right-wing government is increasing its oppressive power over non-human animals.
These actions want to bring attention to the fact that the oppressors are ramified in society at multiple levels, but they are also places and natural persons who physically exercise their power every day in our cities, towns, streets, and who must be hit by returning to direct action as a fundamental practice of the antispeciesist fight”
12th March, NRW Germany.
According to the press, on the 12th of March RWE woke up to an 80-meter-high electricity pylon fallen. The pylon, critical infrastructure for the mine, provides electricity for their lignite coal extraction operation, so they had to shut down two of the four power circuits. Upon investigation it was found that the pylon had been tampered with, screws had been loosen up and parts of the metal leg sawn, possibly months in advance. The strong wings would’ve then torn the legs, making it quite literally “nature defending itself”!
This is not the first time that RWE receives attacks on electricity pylons, as the critical infrastructure is a target difficult to guard that at the same time is completely necessary for their coal mining operations. In 2016, another electricity pylon was sown off and allowed to fall in their Inden mine. The same year, the overground electricity cables supplying power to the coal conveyor belt in Hambacher Forest were set on fire, leaving a sparky light show in the open hole for most of the night.
19th March, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany.
According to local media, on the 19th of March at around 4am unknown activists blew up a hunting tower in Wegberg-Rödgen. Witnesses heard a very loud bang and reported to authorities who are investigating but have no leads on the identity of the perpetrators.
26th March, San Francisco USA.
via: Scenes
“Last Sunday someone redecorated the facade of the GI Partners building (4 Embarcadero Ctr) in San Francisco using a fire extinguisher filled with green paint. Fuck with the forest and the forest will fuck with you.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: In late January, GI Partners acquired Atlas Technical, a major player in the destruction of the Atlanta Forest.
PHOTO: Unrelated image.
17th March, North of Italy.
“Alf attacked Coldiretti in North of Italy.
Coldiretti is one of the major responsable of the hunting policy and the fight of boars and other wild animals.
Also involved in all meat productions”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Coldiretti is the main Italian farming association lobbying the government. They run many campaigns, and lately they have been very focused on the ban on “synthetic meat”. Italian press has given a lot of coverage to the paint job, and Coldiretti has said that they “can’t let the ‘turbo-environmentalists’ win”.
via: This is Not a Drill
17th March, Cambridge UK
“HIT REPORT. This morning, a group of activists in Cambridge broke the windows and spray painted the office building at 50 – 60 Station Road near the rail station. They sent us this explanation.
Why did we choose this anonymous-looking building? Because as soon as it was built, it was occupied by several of the worst enablers of fossil fuels and ecocide. So who are we talking?
EVERSHEDS SUTHERLAND – a law firm that has represented Shell, Chevron and BP, among others [1]. They specialise in injunctions against protestors, including recently assisting Esso in suppressing climate activists [2]. They were recently targeted by activists from HS2 Rebellion for their work on HS2 [3].
CENTRICA – The owners of British Gas, Centrica recently reported record profits for 2022 – off the back of the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine [4]. They’re also known for their fracking lobbying (alongside Cuadrilla) in Lancashire [5].
AMAZON – These guys need no introduction. Their carbon emissions are astronomical and their evil billionaire owner Bezos rakes it in off the backs of people living and working in shockingly bad conditions [6].
CHARLES RIVER ASSOCIATES – A dark horse, this lot are famous for creating biased economic forecasts to help their fossil fuel clients lobby against climate policies [7]. They’ve also worked on major oil company mergers – like BP/Statoil and Schlumberger/Cameron – and were hired by BP to defend them after their catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill [8].
STANTEC – They boast about their work ‘increasing the value of Canadian oil’ through the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, which is notorious for the theft of Indigenous land and workers rights abuses [9]. They’ve also provided ‘professional services’ (whatever those are) to HS2.
SIMMONS – These guys have worked with BP on the Caspian pipeline, which is notorious for human rights abuses, and especially harm to the Kurdish people [10]. They are also involved in the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, a project that StopEACOP are working around the world to halt [11].
This isn’t even every destructive company in the building! This building is a hub of planetary exploitation, and shows clearly how Cambridge’s growth agenda is bound up with extractivism. We wish we’d managed to get a pic of the broken windows, but they’ve covered them – instead, you’ll have to make do with this (sent in by a friend) which shows that our action apparently reached new heights (the first floor…)!”
[2] no link because no-one needs to know the details of injunctions xx
[3] https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/environmental-campaigners-spray-fake-oil-8197554
[4] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64652142
[5] https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-centrica-investing-in-fracking-1; https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/judge-who-jailed-fracking-three-13397943
[6] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/30/amazon-says-carbon-emissions-rose-19percent-in-2020.html; https://www.amazonlaborunion.org/
[7] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09644016.2021.1947636
[8] https://www.crai.com/our-people/alan-overd/; https://www.crai.com/our-people/matthew-bennett/; https://www.crai.com/engagements/non-use-damage-claims/
[9] https://www.stantec.com/uk/projects/d/delivering-hs2-phase-one; https://www.stantec.com/uk/projects/h/high-speed-rail-phase2b; https://www.stantec.com/uk/projects/b/business-case-leeds-city-region-hs2-growth-strategy; https://www.stantec.com/uk/projects/t/trans-mountain-expansion-project-tmep; https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/NoTMX
[10] https://www.simmons-simmons.com/en/expertise/service/energy-natural-resources-and-infrastructure; https://khrp.org/khrp-news/news-archive/2003-news/109-campaigners-warn-uk-government-of-human-rights-threats-over-bps-caspian-oil-project.html
[11] https://www.simmons-simmons.com/en/expertise/service/oil-and-gas; https://www.stopeacop.net/
via: Scenes from the Atlanta Forest
Mid-March, Windsor USA.
“In mid-March, 2023, anarchist comrades attacked a local Consolidated Engineering Laboratories (CEL) office in Windsor, CA, an ATLAS subsidiary, to decry their affiliation with the creators of Cop City.
The action was carried out in solidarity with those who defend the Weelaunee Forest against destruction, despite facing domestic terrorism charges; who grieve the brutal murder of Manuel Tortuguita Teran; who stand against the widespread terror caused by carceral state; and who stand against the earth’s decimation.
CEL and ATLAS operate at the behest of profit, regardless of human and environmental cost. CEL boasts its involvement with a new Utah state prison (comprising over 200 acres and 25 + buildings). ATLAS is expanding the US Naval Nuclear Laboratory.
In response, a small but impassioned strike was made against the capital-carceral enterprise creating Cop City. Glass was etched and smashed; a ridiculous flag removed; an explanatory sign posted; and emphatic messages provided.
We stand with the forest defenders. Smash the state. Abolish the police. Defend the earth.”
Over the past four months, Attendorn, Germany.
According to hunting media, several hunting towers and seats were destroyed between November 2022 and March 2023 in the region of Attendon, North Rhine Westphalia.
Seven towers were completely destroyed and multiple others were damages in what the hunting media describe as “mischievous and hidden manners”. They say that those seats and towers that were damaged in a not-so-obvious way are incredibly dangerous to hunters, who must check the towers are safe before climbing or risk injury or death.
The hunting association approximated the costs due to vandalism at almost 10.000 EUR, and the police released a statement where they say that they cannot rule out the possibility that the acts of vandalism are politically motivated and that they have opened an investigation. They also insisted that hunters refrain from using hunting hides and seats unless they have been thoroughly checked to ensure their safety.
via: NAALPO
Mid February, Skåne Sweden.
“Received anonymously:
In the middle of February a butcher shop was visited in southern Sweden, the province skåne, and where spraypainted with meat is murder, the Alf logo and some lines drawn alongside the facade just to make as much trouble for the animal abusers as possible.
Unfortunately no pictures were taken. They are the small city’s only meat shop and hopefully soon there will be no meat shops in the city at all.
For the Animals!
/ ALF SWEDEN”