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Take Care: Your Safety
INFO ON HEALTH RISKS AND DANGERS DURING ENDE GELÄNDE ACTIONS
It’s good to have all of us here! We are disrupting the development of new natural gas infrastructure and capitalist operations in the port. Because these endanger people’s lives and health and continue colonial exploitation. This year’s action will take place in the greater Hamburg area. Fossil, chemical and infrastructure and industry are located in the areas of action – resulting in various dangers.
The safety and integrity of all participants in “Ende Gelände” is very important to us. Therefore, please familiarize yourself thoroughly with all the dangers and risks that may arise in the action areas. Here you will find a summary of the central dangers and risks, as well as recommendations for action based on our experience in recent years. Of course, the responsibility for your decisions lies with you.
IN ADVANCE: CORONA RISKS AND TAKE CARE
We are aware that the Covid 19 pandemic means responsibility for our protest. Therefore, part of the 2022 Action Consensus is that we adhere to the Corona Hygiene Concept , from preparation to the time after departure. Please read the Ende Gelände Hygiene Concept carefully and discuss in your reference group: How do we contribute to keeping the risk of spreading Covid-19 as low as possible? How do we protect ourselves and vulnerable people around us from infection? Everything else you need to know about infection control can be found in the hygiene concept.
1. GAS AND CHEMICALS IN THE PORT OF HAMBURG
Industries throughout the Port of Hamburg store, process, and utilize hazardous materials, including natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, crude oils, ammonia, chlorine, and acutely toxic materials. All supply and production facilities should therefore be handled with extreme caution and blockades of operations should only be carried out as previously planned. Damage to pipelines, pipelines or machinery can highly endanger the lives and health of many people.
2. FIRE
Gas, coal as well as other hazardous materials listed above, are highly flammable: small sparks are enough to start fires and explosions and highly endanger the life and health of many people. Therefore, avoid burning cigarette butts and any open fire.
3. ALL WORKING MACHINERY (FREIGHT TRAINS, CONVEYORS, TRUCKS, CARGO CRANES)
On the way to our blockade points we may encounter freight trains, trucks, conveyors, truck cranes and other heavy machinery. These are very dangerous when in operation. Do not make reckless actions on machines in the plant, but organize in your reference groups within the “fingers” and think together how the machines could be effectively blocked.
4. FREIGHT TRAINS AND SWITCHES
Freight trains, while usually moving slowly, are very heavy and therefore have a very long stopping distance. Riders have little chance of seeing any track blockages if you are in close proximity to the train trying to get it to stop. Be sure within the finger that adequate safety is provided before entering any tracks. There are moving parts on the switches of the rail system. Take care to avoid the moving parts. If the switches are thrown by surprise, severe crushing of your body parts may occur.
5. POWER/OVERHEAD LINES
There may be exposed power lines throughout the action areas, this is especially true of plant sites. Be sure to keep a generous safety distance (more than 1.5m) from overhead power lines especially. This is especially true if you have flags and high transpis and other such material with you. Even without direct contact, severe electric shocks can occur over many centimeters. The danger increases in rain and wet conditions. Even after a brief short circuit, the power line can become live again. At the plant site and near gas infrastructure, you will sometimes find cable strands on the ground and on conveyor belts. Avoid any contact here as well. These are also under high voltage and the insulations can be defective, making contact life-threatening!
6. FORMS OF ACTION
This year, among other things, the action consensus has been adapted to allow even more forms of action, not only for small groups, but also as part of the mass action. Read the Action Consensus carefully and discuss what this means for your reference/peer group.
It is possible within the framework of the action consensus to make material changes, for example, to damage things. Be informed about the consequences for your safety and that of all other activists and affected people. We act with caution and do not endanger human lives. If you are not sure about the risks and consequences, it might be safer to choose other forms of action. In any case, act in solidarity and discuss in advance in your reference groups what acting in solidarity means in this context. Be prepared that there can be very dynamic situations, also in blockades. Take care of yourselves and each other, see how you can protect yourself and others – from physical danger, but also from repression.
7. RISK GROUPS, PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
We recommend all people with pre-existing conditions and/or from risk groups to assess their own resilience with regard to the action itself. We cannot exclude potentially health-endangering, repressive measures of the police beforehand. All those who regularly take medication, must necessarily bring these themselves sufficiently! Alternatively, there will be protest and resistance outside of blockades that you can join, as well as many infrastructure tasks that you can support – feel free to use the support-tool for this.
8. SUN AND HEAT, ENOUGH WATER
Be sure to use sunscreen such as cloths, caps, and heavy-duty sunscreen. It is best to apply greasy sunscreen etc. only when the blockade is in place. Otherwise pepper spray or tear gas will stick to such creams if the police use them. Be sure to take enough water to drink and, if necessary, to rinse when the police use pepper spray! Plastic bottles with a suction cap are suitable for this purpose. Dust suits can protect against heavy pollution, but can also increase the risk of overheating in warm weather, so better take them off then.
9. SECURITIES, GUARD AND PLANT PROTECTION
The job of the securities is to protect the plant premises. Not all of them respect their legal authority to do so: Beating, pepper spray and other physical violence must be expected.
Make sure that you are not alone on the factory premises. It is advisable to refrain from unnecessary provocation, to remain level-headed and to remind the security guards of their authority. In case of assaults by the security guards, document them well in order to be able to file a complaint later.
10. DURATION AND LOCATION OF THE BLOCKADE, OVERNIGHT STAYS, LOCK-ONS
The stress that this action can cause many participants should not be underestimated. It is your responsibility to decide with yourself and in your reference groups how far you want to go. The duration of the action as well as the place of the blockade has a strong influence on the personal health risk. Go with your reference group only where it is good for all of you, and stay only as long as everyone wants. Make your decisions by consensus and make sure that no one is overburdened! For this, also use our guide for reference groups .
In Ende Gelände actions there can also be long blockades. If you are preparing to stay overnight in your finger and reference group, make sure you have warmth (warm clothes, sleeping bags, “golden” iso blankets) and sitting pads (parts of sleeping mats), see packing list .
If you are using lock-ons to make it more difficult to clear a blockade, please make sure you attend training on this prior to the action. Make sure that people in the lock-on are reliably accompanied by people from their reference groups who are not in the lock-on.
11. EMERGENCIES, PARAMEDICS, OUT OF ACTION
Take a first aid kit with you in your reference group (see packing list). In all Ende Gelände-Fingers, solidarity paramedic teams and/or first aiders* go with you. Call them immediately in case of emergency. Unfortunately, demo-paramedics can not always be everywhere. Therefore: In acute emergencies (e.g. shortness of breath or unconsciousness) call the emergency number “112” yourself and directly.
If people leave the action because they are mindful of their limits or have had stressful experiences, make sure they are accompanied in your reference groups. There will be an “Out of Action” point of contact at the camp where you can find rest and talk with experienced persons.
12. PERSONS UNDER 18
It is always important for each person (no matter how old) to do enough research about the action and decide for themselves if they feel well prepared to go into action. No one should overextend themselves! For activists* under the age of 18, a different legal basis must be considered. Please inform yourself in the legal aid brochure and take part in action trainings.