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Ongoing Repression in Brugge – 2 people in prison – Noise Demo on Friday morning

Lappersfort | 02.04.2009 15:03 | Ecology | Free Spaces | Repression

In the early hours of Wednesday 30th of march, two occupants of the Lappersfort forest protest site were arrested cycling back to the camp. Based on the fact that they had a screwdriver on them and a bike trailer full of food, they are accused of breaking a fence in order to take food from a skip that they never actually visited.

They are currently in prison awaiting a hearing on Friday morning 9:00. There will be a noise demo tomorrow before the court house; those who wish to come, meet us at the train station at 8:00 or come to the forest tonight. In case they don’t get released, there will be another demo in Brugge on Saturday, meeting at 13:00 at the front of the train station. BRING YOURSELF AND YOUR FRIENDS, BRING YOUR NOISE AND WHATEVER YOU WISH!

These arrests are the latest development in the ongoing campaign of repression against the occupants of the protest site. In February one person was arrested for skipping food and was held for 15 days in a high-security prison after refusing to identify himself in court. After the judge in Gent ordered his release, the Lappersfort lawyer is expecting the judge in Brugge to flex his little muscles and try to make an example of the two people in prison.

Other ‘offences’ occupants have been arrested for in the last five months include: Taking scrap wood from a bin, carrying wood chips in wheelbarrows in the street, handing out flyers at a market in the city centre and putting up posters on a legal postering spot.

The Lappersfort occupants see this as an ongoing campaign of repression to try to force them out of the woods and discover as many of their identities as possible. It is also seen as a criminalization of environmental activism, skipping and generally increasing the power of the police state. THIS IS NO LONGER A FIGHT ONLY FOR THE FOREST, BUT ALSO FOR PERSONAL FREEDOM, SELFDETERMINATION AND THE RIGHT TO RECYCLE.

Lappersfort forest has been occupied since September 2008 to prevent it from being cut down to build warehouses, office buildings and a car park. The owner of the land, FABRICOM GTI, entity of energy-giant GDF SUEZ, has until now offered little contact to the occupiers except to say that they insist on going ahead with their destructive project.

The site is under constant eviction threat. People who want to come and live with us to defend the forest are welcome, and visitors too!

Directions from Brugge Train Station: Exit at the back – where all the construction is going on – turn left and follow the road for a while until the roundabout, turn left under the railway bridge. You’ll see the forest soon on your right!

0032 (0) 471 658 544
(For information in dutch - not yet translated nor updated - www.lappersfort.tk)

Lappersfort
- e-mail: lappersfort@gmail.com

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  1. S.O.S Lappersfort — visitor