Gallery | Imprisonment is for Burning

Enter through the black flag, the colour of rebirth. A slashpile barricade at the southern entrance of Dannenröder forest in times of peace. Made from industrial waste during falling economic prices for timber, and people’s represented boundary for self-determination. https://jungle.world/artikel/2021/39/ein-klima-fuer-radikalitaet

Do you know that experience of arriving somewhere at night, and then getting up in the morning to see it in the light? This was matched with having a comrade on the side of my bunk, as delighted to see me as I them. The above banner translates as “ Hanau is not a single case, racism kills!”, referring to the then recent shooting of 11 people of migrant background, by a right wing extremist in the region.
https://www.zeit.de/campus/2020-09/dannenroeder-forst-umweltschutz-klimaaktivismus-rodung-autobahnausbau/seite-2

Fire salamaders are precious signs of a healthy ecosystem, as their water permeable skin does not so easily tolerate pollutants. What’s more is that their skin is so delicate, that for them roadkill does not just mean being run over by a vehicle, the sheer vibration of one passing by is enough for their inner organs to erupt. Since the eviction and implementation of the A49 construction, several truckloads of material go in and out of the forests every hour, and I know I am one of many who feel a deep sorrow about this invasion, and a rage towards those that continue down the path of ecological destruction. Source: a comrade

In the spring of 2020, the construction of the queer feminist or flinta* (cis male excluding barrio) caused a palpable rift within the occupation. Although I put my lot in with those most affected by patriarchy, who need safer, comfortable spaces to go beyond surviving and thus thrive, I do understand this pushing of cis males out of welcome is a darker side of feminism, and limits our unified progression. When our boundaries, our best interests, are attuned to and acted upon by those outside of our struggle, who demonstrate an understanding of our oppression, then will we feel forward movement. This banner at the entrance of barrio Zukunkt, was attributed to the ALF, who in their hightime of the 90s, were at the forefront of struggling with and for beings beyond our species. *Source: a comrade*

It can be extemely easy to get caught up in being ‘anti – fill-in-the-blank’ in this fucked up world, going on a forest walk and remembering what we’re pro is one of my favorite antidotes. *Source: a comrade*

When I stepped foot back in the forest in the late summer after a long break, I immediately knew that the barrio, or neighbourhood above who I had heard about named Nirgendwo was where I was headed. Meeting again folks who I trusted, and a beautiful central kitchen and sleeping platform (centre left), which quickly expanded into a network of treehouses and defence structures, I learned there so much.
Photo credit: ps://anfdeutsch.com/Oekologie/offene-ausstellung-menschen-im-widerstand-am-dannenroder-wald-28492

It was during one of the many days during the eviction of Danni, cops were around. I decided to go a mission through the forest and heard on the grapevine that ‘something’ was about to happen. On my way back, taking the road down to Nirgendwo, I turned to see what was that noise behind me. I gasped to see a river of black, people that had arrived to the camp from various cities, and their march was obviously signaling a showdown. I picked up my pace, got back to the barrio and told everyone to get themselves and important stuff off the ground, now. A new energy whirled through the place, as we watched from above the fireworks, flares and menace clashing with the police.
Photo credit: http://keinruhigeshinterland.org/2020/12/08/eine-autonome-einschaetzung-zur-fortfuehrung-des-kampfs-im-dannenroeder-wald/

Sitting in a cell and hearing the first chants and whistles of a demo erupting on the other side of the complex was a vibration so physically, emotionally and mentally stimulating. I received a photo of this banner which on another occasion had made it’s way to a weapons factory blockade.
Photo credit: https://jungle.world/artikel/2021/39/ein-klima-fuer-radikalitaet
Here is a video that reminds me of the prison visit we were graced with on 13.12.21 https://freethemall.blackblogs.org/category/soliaktionen/

Poster for the documentary film projection about the Ella case ‘and the state power that wants to intimidate and disguise’, which includes footage of a theatrical reenacting of the arrest, staged in front of the local ministry of economics. This date the film was released and screened in over a hundred locations, was a year later commemor-action from when the first trees were felled in Danni’s neighbouring Herrenwald forest.
Watch here https://youtu.be/XzO9vIUHCHM?feature=shared
Read English translation of film https://projektwerkstatt.de/media/text/antirepression_ella_filmtextenglisch.pdf

When the director approached my place in the courtroom during a break in the first instance, and asked for an on camera interview I thought he must be joking. Then I received a letter saying that he wanted to illustrate how the local struggle went on after the fall of Danni, about the groundwater issue and my incarceration. I softened to the idea of letting a perspective of events concerning my vulnerability, be broadcast for the sake of a deepening awareness. So if seeing a boot fly in the face of a cop intrigues you, check this trailer. If how such an act of self defence can escalate into a courtroom battle, intermittently attended from a lonely jail cell terrifies you, check your affinity group.

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