First Stop of the "Climate-Justice Caravan (east) to the COP 15 summit

Friedrichring, Freiburg, 04.12.2009

From the 3. until the 4. of december the climate caravan, which travels with international participants from the OMC summit in Geneva to the climate summit on Copenhagen, stoped in Freiburg. After a discussion meeting thursday evening in the "Haus 37" in the Vauban around 100 people took the street with theier bycicles to protest for another climate.

 

After an intense demonstration in Geneva on the 28.11 and action days from the 30.11 until the 02.12 the caravan started in direction Denmark with the slogan "Handel-Macht-Klima" ("Trade-Power-Climate" or "Trade makes Climate"). The caravan intents to mobilise for the proetests in Copenhagen and tries to reveal the connections between capitalist and neocolonial globalisation and the climate change. The focus of the caravan is the cross-linking of the world-wide struggle for a world of solidarity.


"Handel macht Klima"

 

More the 60 activists and representatives of agriculture-, fishing-, land- and humanrightsorganisations who expierience increased direct or indirect efects from the climate change in the global south, travel on two routes to Copenhagen.

 

While the "west-route" travels through Dijon, Paris, Brussels and Hamburg to the climate summit, the "east-route" stops in Freiburg, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Berlin. On thursday evening around 30 activists from diferent regions of the worls arrived in Freiburg where a local climate-activists-network, several leftist projects and some volunteers played the host-rolle. While dinner was cooked at the SUSI-Cafe the activists had a little snack and were welcomed. Afterwards the participants were allocated in different houses of the Vauban.

 

"Who sits in the glas-house, throw the first stone"

 

In the night they had a "Volxküche" and a hearing (in spanish and english) with the representatives from the organisations participating in the caravan.Upon other topics they were talking about fishers in the philippines who fight against "free-Trade", effects of the climate change in India and Bagladesh and struggles for ressources and the role of agro-buisness in several latin american countries. Independent Media activists documentes the discussion in audio and video. On medium term there will be an extense elaboration of the reports and struggles of the participants. The night ended with a little party in Haus37.


"Our Climate - Not your Business!"

 

On the 4th a "bike-tour for a totally different climate" stared at 10:30 am on the occupied M1 area in the Quartier Vauban. After a short consultation with the police and a multilingual briefing, a crowd of about 50 ciclists left in direction downtown.With freezing temperatures but sunshine, several flags and good mood the not officially announced demonstration passed through the Merzhauser-, Schnewlin- und Heinrich-von-Stefan Straße and reached the "blue bridge" scanting slogans like "What do we want? - Climate Justice! - When do we want it? Now!, , "our Climate is not you Businness!" or  "Our Planet is not for Sale!".

 

"El pueblo - únido - jamás sera vencido!"

 

Around 11 am the demonstration arrived at the "blue bridge" where around 30-40 activists waited with their bycicles. After a short rally the demonstration continued through Sedanstraße, Rotteckring, Friedrichsring, Siegesdenkmal and KaJo where new activists joined. The entire thing turned now into a relaxed and loud Demonstration with short speeches, banners and several flyers for pedestrians. Easily 100 people walked along the consuming-mile KaJo, passed the Martinstor and Holzmarkt where the few police cars, supervising the demonstration, left. Following the Rempart- Belfort- und Adlerstraße the demonstration ended in the Grether area.

After a short introduction in the history of this project they had Lunch at the Strandcafé. The last participant from Latin-America finally joined the caravan after a three days odyssey. At 2 pm the caraqvan left for their next destination Frankfurt. A lot of us, participating in this caravan stop, where motivated to continue the struggle and join in solidarity actions against climate change and capitalism.

 

 

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