November 5th: powerful actions that really set the tone for COP 23

Climate protectors came together in the Rhineland coalfields 50km from Bonn to send out a clear signal for justice. What an incredible day!

As 4,500 Ende Gelände activists made their way towards the vast Hambach coal mine, the Pacific Climate Warriors prepared a sevusevu — a traditional Fijian ceremony — in which they shared their solidarity with representatives from Ende Gelände and the local community affected by the expanding mine. The warriors shared poetry and song, served customary kava, and unveiled beautiful, petal-shaped tapas from Tonga, with the message “End Fossil Fuels Now.”
The Warriors then moved to a viewpoint on the edge of the mine to take in the desolate scene, and shared emotional words, “I’ve never been here before, I’ve never seen the causes of climate change… We have no right to treat the land this way.” — Billy Cava, Climate Warrior from New Caledonia.
At the same time, thousands of people were on their way into the mine itself, overcoming police barricades in a courageous act of mass civil disobedience underneath a towering digger. They managed to shut down three coal excavators as well as a conveyor belt for hours — and their statement lingers on: “Together we are many, together we are strong and determined.” — Ende Gelände. Acting together is how we will keep fossil fuels in the ground.
“We’re all different people but it’s one struggle” — Brianna Fruean, Climate Warrior from Samoa.
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