Optimism at Ahaus anti-nuclear training camp
Various, Diet Simon translating - 13.03.2004 22:16
German source stories at  http://de.indymedia.org/2004/03/76908.shtml and http://de.indymedia.org/2004/03/76873.shtml
Activists running an anti-nuclear transporting and storing camp at Ahaus report “it’s already a full success – we’re thriving!” Elvis at  nixfaehrtmehr@gmx.de writes: “Already last night saw very active hours and since this morning more and more men and women activists have been arriving. There’s tinkering, digging, screwing, painting going on and one even hears rumours about tunnel building. And the soup tastes great!”
Cross-border nuclear concentration
What’s being billed as an “Anti-Castor Training Camp” is on a paddock controlled by the local resistance group directly in front of the Ahaus “interim repository”, a thin-walled shed meant to safely hold highly radioactive waste.
After several years of no waste transports to Ahaus, close to the Dutch border, it’s been announced that 18 Castor caskets of highly active waste are to be trucked to there in nine consignments, more than 600 km across Germany from Dresden in the east.
“Because the bla bla by Greens, Reds (Social Democrats) and other jolly colours about the planned Castor trucking from Dresden-Rossendorf to Ahaus is getting seriously on our nerves, we’re making clear already that the Castor has to get past us first,” writes Elvis in his post to IndyMedia.
“That’s why we’re now training non-violent actions the entire weekend so that we can out-trick and here and there trip up the little men in green [German police wear green uniforms] on Day X.”
”We’re doing up the huts on the paddock, making action materials, cooking, flying kites over the repository or just sitting around the campfire. And all of that we’re doing under constant observation by the repository-brainless, who’ve got their gate camera aimed directly at us – are they allowed to do that? Never mind, it’s going to be taken down, anyhow…”
WDR television took some pretty footage, Elvis goes on, which was to be shown at 7 p.m. Saturday evening in “Aktuelle Stunde”, a popular regional show.
“Our friends and helpers [police] are also holding back and only occasionally sending a patrol car round. So, come spontaneously to Ahaus with tent and sleeping bag.
"Information work and lots of other creative things are planned.”
For infos about the camp and directions, or if you want to be picked up at the railway station, ring 0162-7752056.
“The bigger our number now, the less likely the Castor trucking will become!”
Parallel Sunday strolls will take place Sunday week (21st) in Ahaus und Dresden-Rossendorf. In the Wendland (Gorleben) they will do a railtrack stroll.
“The anti-atomic initiatives expect the biggest demo in three years in the Münsterland region [the area around Ahaus]. Nothing will move! Stop the Castor before it starts moving!”
e-Mail:: nixfaehrtmehr@gmx.de ¦ Homepage: http://www.nixfaehrtmehr.de ¦ Address: Wiese gegenüber vom Zwischenlager in Ahaus ¦ Telephone: #49-0162-7752056
Media reported on Friday that no Castor transport now appears to be expected before May, though March was thought likely up to now. The North-Rhine Westphalian premier even demanded that fellow Social Democrat, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, take charge and stop the trucking plan.
The “Neue Ruhr/Neue Rhein-Zeitung” newspaper has reported that in case the North-Rhine Westphalian government can’t stop the trucking, it’s making contingency plans to rail the waste because that would be easier for police to control. The state expects costs of 50 million euros.
“That makes for good headlines,” writes Camper of http://www.wigatom.de, “but we know that unless we mount actions on the streets, the Castors will roll anyway.”
Other activists, writing from uranix@gmx.net, urge that the new protest movement also target Germany’s only uranium enrichment plant in Gronau, 18 km north of Ahaus and even closer to the Dutch border.
“The idea being discussed,” writes Camper at http://de.indymedia.org/2004/03/76873.shtml, “is directly after the next Castor transport, i.e. after the Castors have been [stopped and] sent back to the south German nuclear power stations, to head for Gronau to deconstruct the uranium enrichment plant there.
“We think that’s an outstanding idea. Within one and the same mobilisation reference would be made to the start and end of the nuclear fuel cycle.
“A link would be made to the global pig system, ie. to the globally happening exploitation and oppression. Great if that could be pulled off.
“To that end we must still massively demand that this idea doesn’t just become an appendage of the No-Castor-to-Ahaus campaign, but from the outset a part of the mobilisation involving the entire movement.
“As far as the practical side is concerned, we can well imagine a big, colourful convoy with everything but the kitchen sink, shovels, spanners and people’s kitchen from Ahaus to a blockade in Gronau.
“And those who know the vast compound there with its pretty mesh fence know that the most varied things are possible there…games without limits.”
“So much for now on ideas spinning around. If the spin hits you, give us a call. Keep moving!”
”Immediate shutdown of all atomic installations worldwide! Anything else is nonsense and the uranium stays in the ground!! Freedom and cake for all!!”
e-Mail:: uranix@gmx.net Homepage:: http://squat.net/aap-berlin/
And Autonome Campistas posting from Cologne say “Let there be rock! We will publicise your actions here. Greeting from Cologne. see.you.on.the.barricades.”
Mainstream media coverage in German: http://news.google.de/news?hl=de&edition=de&q=Ahaus&btnG=News-Suche
Earlier IndyMedia reports:
Castor alarm in Ahaus! http://de.indymedia.org//2004/02/73745.shtml
Dresden Castors to Ahaus: a Dutch view http://de.indymedia.org//2004/02/73731.shtml
Autobahn actions against Castor transport http://de.indymedia.org//2004/01/72885.shtml
More Castors rolling soon, this time to Ahaus http://de.indymedia.org//2003/12/69056.shtml
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