Protest camp in Saxony: Clearing of the Heidebogen forest has begun

The clearing of a forest occupied by activists near Ottendorf-Okrilla north of Dresden has begun. “The assembly authority has just dissolved the assembly and the Sachsenforst has declared a ban on staying and entering the forest area,” said a police spokeswoman on Twitter on Wednesday morning. According to a dpa reporter on site, barricades should first be cleared and ditches filled in in the Heidebogen forest so that the technology required for the clearing could be brought to the site.

For about a year and a half, climate activists and nature conservationists have been holed up in the Heidebogen – known locally as Heibo – to protest against the gravel quarrying. According to the current legal situation, a 7.5-hectare piece of forest is to be cleared for this purpose by the end of February.

Parallel to the clearing of the forest, the clearing with machines already started. Around 50 Sachsenforst employees were on site. Among other things, they should ensure that escape routes are kept clear. The activists were asked via loudspeaker to leave the premises. If they do not follow these demands, “immediate coercion” can be used, it said. According to initial assessments, however, the situation is still relatively relaxed.

According to the information, the police initially cordoned off the area on Wednesday so that no other people could enter the forest. According to the police, there were several dozen activists on site – around 25 of them had holed up in tree houses. Green MPs from the Bundestag and parliamentary representatives were also present. They wanted to see if everything was going proportionately.