From #HambacherForst to the Bosnian/Croatian border: A logical step…

In the past weeks I reported a lot about Hambacher Forest. The struggle against RWE’s open pit mine is important, climate change is already taking its toll. On Monday I returned to Velika Kladuša at the Bosnian side of the Bosnian/Croatian border. Apart from people that are fleeing for war and persecution, more and more people are also forced to leave their villages and cities because of climate change.

Published by Enough is Enough. Written by Riot Turtle.

Note: Enough is Enough is not organizing any of these events, we are publishing this text for people across the US and Europe to be able to see what is going on and for documentation only.

I travelled with the Cars of Hope collective to Bosnia again to renovate a container that will be used as a first aid station after its finished. The police violence at the Croatian side of the border is still taking place on a daily basis. Until now people are often treated in the open air, but its getting colder now and Bosnian winters are hard winters. 

Back in #VelikaKladuša #Bosnia to support refugees Renovating medical point container. Donate: Volksbank im Bergischen Land

Account holder: Hopetal e.V.

Description: Cars of Hope

IBAN: DE51 3406 0094 0002 9450 87

BIC: VBRSDE33XXX

PayPal : carsofhopewtal@gmail.com#NoBorders pic.twitter.com/2XqyxOrAFS

— Enough is Enough! (@enough14) 17. Oktober 2018

We formed a great team with activists of our collective and refugees in Kladuša. Many people support the project and so we were able to finance building material from donations. Personally I am not a professional construction worker, and I learned a lot again in the past days. Some of the friends who are stuck here at one of the EU outer borders have so much to talent. New friendships developed and with that my rage against the racist EU border policies reached a new high.

People from @carsofhopewtal are again in #VelikaKladuša in #Bosnia to help refugees.

The Situation there is getting worse and worse, so help is needed urgently.

Please support them by donating and spreading this tweet. Thx! 🙏#RefugeesWelcome #SafePassage #Balkanroute pic.twitter.com/nK9ZRJQQHf

— Enough is Enough! (@enough14) 18. Oktober 2018

Every day when we started to work we saw people getting first aid who were subject to police violence and illegal pushbacks to Bosnia by the Croatian police. Apart from that the bad conditions in the refugee camp in Velika Kladuša is causing a lot of illness. The nights are already cold here and most people sleep in improvised tents or outside.

For many people it might seem that the step from the struggle in Hambacher forest on the German territory to my activities on the Balkan route is a big step, but for me everything is connected. More and more people that were born in the Global south are forced to leave their villages and cities because of climate change. Harvests that are destroyed by drought, hurricanes an other catastrophes that already makes live harder and harder in the southern part of our planet. For me the fight against coal, other fossil fuels and companies like RWE that are actively working on a global disaster is directly connected to the work on the Bosnian/Croatian border. 

Today we finished our work on the first container, but we already prepared the next project. We now will start to build winterproof emergency shelters for the many people that sleep outside and in the improvised tents in the refugee camp. Neither the so-called big NGO’s, nor the state seem to be willing to do that until now and winter is coming fast. Of course daily needs like shoes, blankets and warm clothes are also being provided. 

Today we finished renovating the container for the first aid medical post to treat refugees in #VelikaKladuša #Bosnia at the Bosnian/Croatian border. Next project we will start is building winter proof shelters as many people still sleep outside or in makeshift tents #NoBorders pic.twitter.com/QwLJjNc8JO

— Enough is Enough! (@enough14) 20. Oktober 2018

We need your support for our work on the Balkan route. You can donate on the Cars of Hope bank account:

Name of the bank: Volksbank im Bergischen Land
Account holder: Hopetal e.V.
Description: Cars of Hope
IBAN: DE51 3406 0094 0002 9450 87
BIC: VBRSDE33XXX

or via PayPal:

carsofhopewtal@gmail.com

or with bitcoins:

18WH8NyyDH6xsXztxFkQW1m3xBK2NLQp3d