Journalist Killed During Eviction of Hambach Forest

Posted on September 21, 2018 by GJEP staff Leave a Comment

A journalist who has been accompanying the anti-coal movement in the Hambach Forest for many years fell to his death from one of the rope-bridges this week.

Via DW.com

On Wednesday afternoon, freelance journalist Steffen Meyn fell around 20 meters (66 feet) from a bridge suspended between two tree houses in the occupied Hambach Forest.

Despite efforts to revive him, the 27-year-old German citizen died after being flown out by helicopter.

Following the accident, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia’s interior minister, Herbert Reul, announced that police activities in the forest would be suspended — for now.

The final video from Meyn’s Twitter:

Polizei Richtung Mensch und Traverse. pic.twitter.com/RItJFaGCs8 — Vergissmeynnicht (@Vergissmeynnic1) September 19, 2018

See additional details and statements below.



Via the Hambacher Forest Solidarity Vigil Facebook.

On Wednesday, Sept. 19th, we lost a climate comrade in the the fight to protect the ancient Hambacher Forest in Germany from the ravages of fossil fueled capitalism.

As a matter of climate justice brave protectors have been living in the Hambacher Forest for years to stop RWE energy from expanding their huge brown coal mine into the area. In recent weeks the joint forces of the police and RWE’s security escalated the fight and began systematically destroying areas of ancient woodland.

On Wednesday RWE were attempting to clear a treehouse village when the man went to go and help defend the village and fell 20 metres from a bridge to his death.

He has become 67th this year on a list of people around the world who have lost their lives fighting against environmental injustice: https://tinyurl.com/ybg72qpk



Join together in sorrow and anger as we collectively channel it into a call for a world that values all life and the lives of future generations. We will stand united against the profiteering of companies scraping the bottom of the barrel of fossil fuels propelling our climate crisis. Bring candles, songs of hope, despair and joy in the face of a future we don’t need to have and demand the future we deserve.



Statement by local and regional allies Ende Gelaende, Buirer für Buir, and Aktion Unterholz:



To the family and friends of the deceased journalist, we express our deepest sympathy and regret. We mourn for the man who died. This tragic accident should never have been allowed to happen. No further human lives must be endangered.

We therefore call on the state government of Northrhine-Westphalia to immediately cancel the dangerously high-pressure and rapidly conducted eviction of the tree houses in Hambach Forest.



There will be a vigil in London in solidarity with Hambacher Forest occupation and in memory of the fallen comrade on Monday, hosted by RTP

Details are :

24th of September at 18:30 hours at the RWEHQ in

60 Threadneedle Street, London EC2R 8HP

FB https://www.facebook.com/events/240199766669944/

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