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In Paris the governments of this world have decided: The bigger part of fossil fuels has to stay in the ground. Burning coal, oil and gas is the main reason for the global climate crisis, which causes drought, famines, the extinction of species, extreme weather events and floods. Millions of people, especially in the global south, are being threatened by climate change today and are forced to flee right now.

The question if there actually will be a turning point in international climate politics, will be decided on a national level by those countries who are the biggest perpetrators of the climate crisis – historically as well as currently. A quick coal exit in Germany is one of the preconditions for confining global warming to significantly below 1.5°C, as the international community determined with the Paris Convention.
But the government is failing climate protection: the CO2-emissions have not decreased in years. Burning coal for another twenty years is not compatible with the climate agreement of Paris. We demand the Hambach Forest and the currently still threatened villages to remain untouched.

In the Rhineland many people, as well as environmental associations and other organisations, have been struggling locally against brown coal extraction for a long time. They demand a sustainable structural change for the coal-mining areas and future-oriented jobs, instead of the ones in the coal-industry. Because one thing is certain: coal-power does not have a future! At the same time more and more people see themselves as part of a global movement for climate justice and demand an end to few people profiting of the wealth generated by fossil fuels, while many others have to suffer the consequences. Under the slogan “Fridays for Future” a whole generation has stand up together to fight for their future and against the climate crisis.

We, the signing groups and organisations, are shocked about the apathy of the Federal Government amidst the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced.
We understand that, in light of the impending climate catastrophe, people feel obliged to civil disobedience against coal-mining. The action consensus of “Ende Gelände” emphazises security and transparency for all participants and rules out the destruction of infrastructures and any endangering of people. Civil disobedience against existencial dangers and grievances has a long and significant democratic tradition. For example, there would be no nuclear-phaseout without the civil resistance against nuclear power, which included civil disobedience as well as other means of political expression. The determined but peaceful actions of “Ende Gelände” in the past years has adopted this tradition impressively.

“Ende Gelände” is a startling signal to the withdrawal out of a devastating technology and for a global preservation of a sound environment. The activities are an expression of solidarity with all those people, who have to struggle against the menace against their livelihood. With all those who will be the most affected in future, with everyone who advocate for a future worth living on this planet. This is why we declare our solidarity with all people protesting peacefully against coal.

Signatories:

• 350.org
• Bayern Allianz
• BüfA Regensburg
• Bürgerinitiative Umweltschutz Lüchow Dannenberg
• Buko - Bundeskoordination Internationalismus
• BUND
• BUNDJugend
• Bund Naturschutz
• Bürgerbegehren Klimaschutz
• Campact
• Inkota
• Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie
• Naturfreunde
• Oxfam
• PowerShift
• projekt21plus
• Robin Wood
• Umweltinstitut
• Urgewald