Monday November 21: at 8.15am the transport reaches Lüneburg while some thousend protestors in the area are on the roads to welcome it on the last 70km. See timeline for updated infos about the protest.

Sunday November 20: Hundreds of people spread into the woods along the railway tracks, setting up barricades [pictures 1 | 2] on roads to sabotage police logistic for tonight when the transport is expected in the region. Tractors are used to block the special police forces. Farmers blocked the tranport route close to Gorleben with 120 tractors ( picture ), later in te night cleared by police forces. On its way through Southern Germany, the train was stopped several times by blocades. An unknown number of people are arrested.

Saturday, November 19: 4000 people demonstrate in Hitzacker, where the transport will pass on Monday. [Pictures 1 | 2 ] Meanwhile, at 17.30, the transport has left the plutonium plant in France. [video] In the evening, 350 people blockaded the main road from Lüneburg to Dannenberg at the village Metzingen, setting barricades on fire [ pictures].

Friday November 18: 600 pupils demonstrated (en) in Lüchow throwing a "rain of eggs" (police) at police forces. Police forces tried to clear the demonstration later injuring several pupils.Burning barricades on a Autobahn (highway) in MEtzingen, Germany

As in previous years, direct actions took already place weeks before the expected transport. In October more then 100 containers - the accommodation of police troups - burned down causing a damage of more than 3 million euros while nobody was hurt. It was the most militant act against the transports since activists burned down a whole railway bridge on the way to Gorleben in autumn 2001. This week, anti-atom activists also used anchors to destroy the contact wire of railways in northern Germany. Police say that on 17 November, they’ve prevented an attempt to hollow out a road with water.

The containers are transported by train to Lüneburg, where they have to go another 50km by train on a single-track railway, heavily secured by police forces against sabotage and blockades. After that the containers have to be moved on trucks for another 20km by road to Gorleben.

The biggest clash of police and activists took place in Wendland in March 2001, when about 10,000 activists met almost 30,000 police, making the tranport stop for almost one day and about 1,000 people arrested in 48 hours.

Although police tries to divide locals and protestors from all over Germany and France by 'tolerating' some local protest and marking 'foreigners' as 'anarchist rioters', connections are in some parts stronger then ever, most of the protest camps organized by both locals and people coming to the area for protest. In Metzingen, a small village halfway of the railway tracks to Dannenberg, local people offer accommodation in their houses to hundreds of protestors - calling the town a "place of resistance", supplying foot and transport logistics for people who want to stay during the days of protest.


For minute-to-minute reports from the transport and resistance along the way from france to germany, click here:
castor.de/english/2005/day_x_live.htm (english language..the newsticker in german will be most likely faster)


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There is a nice video-documentation with no comments about the castor-transport in 2001 (the first transport, where the green party was in the government coaltion), where 20.000 cops were deployed (the biggest police action in the history of germany).

It's a realy good video-document to get a feeling about what is happening there every year. Some parts are in german (ppl speak to the camera), but most parts are just pure videoimpressions.

Videostream:
www.interpool.tv/video/ausnahmezustand_64.ram (low quality version)
www.interpool.tv/video/ausnahmezustand_512.ram (high quality verson)

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Castor log

Anti-nuclear activists have four times stopped the train taking 12 caskets of highly radioactive nuclear waste from France to Gorleben in north Germany. The log:
The Castor train was stopped by two rail blockades in Göttingen-Weende, delaying it by half an hour. Thirty activists twice succeeded in getting onto the track. The train had to stop at 1.42 a.m. in Göttingen station because at Weende 20 men and women were on the rails. When they had been removed, more activists got onto the track 100 metres further on, so that the train had to stop once more and was finally able to continue on its way at 2.13 a.m. At the same time police encircled a spontaneous demonstration on the Weender rural road by 20 people who were briefly detained. At least two were driven off to a prisoner collection point. germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133261.shtml ++++ 02:13 Castor train leaves Göttingen, about an hour behind schedule. +++++ 01:45 Castor drives slowly through Göttingen +++ 2 rail blockades were cleared away. ++++++ 00:34 Castor train through Kassel heading for Göttingen. 8:09 pm About 50 activists await the train in Fulda outside the railway station, informing the public about Castor dangers. Several actions planned. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ 7.16 p.m. Still 100 tractors in Gusborn. +++++ 7.13 p.m. Police confiscate tractors, let those go who leave voluntarily. +++++ 7.10 pm Third call (required by law) by the police to clear the road of blockading tractors in Gusborn. +++++ At germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133164.shtm 6.37 p.m. Pictures from Dahlenburg of a vigil along the route Lüneburg-Dannenberg +++++ 5.54 p.m. germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133155.shtml Activists allege police sabotaged nine of their bicycles on private land in the Göhrde area by slashing tires, loosening or unscrewing nuts, cutting brake cables and destroying valves. Police are investigating. +++++ 5.47 p.m. germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133140.shtml pictures of activists running themselves warn and getting acquainted with the terrain in the Göhrde forest, to be traversed by the Castor train during the night. +++++
5.26 p.m. At germany.indymedia.org/openposting/ a report that Nazis are using the absence of many activists at the Castor protests to mount activitities. +++++ 5.15 p.m. Castor train through Heilbronn. The follow-up train consists of an electric locomotive and four diesel locomotives. It follows the Castor train with some delay. No accompanying helicopter. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ Train started rolling again at 5.45 p.m. after a delay of one and a half hours. A passenger train using the same route waited 300 metres from the Castor train to continue. A spokesman for the activists said the dangerous radiation from the Castors could damage the passengers at such a short distance. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ 4.48 p.m. germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133131.shtml tractors block a unit of special police in Tollendorf. Pictures +++++

4.39 p.m. germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133126.shtml Activists claim 1,000 people in small groups in Göhrde forest, blocking paths with waste and freshly cut timber. Helicopter circling all the while. Police spoke of a bus tipped over and attempts to saw through the rails. +++++ A group of 14 activists stopped the train in Bietigheim with a sit-down blockade. Police apparently taken by surprise. Activists removed from track. Technical emergency service at work with heavy equipment. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ Train blocked near Bietigheim since about 4.10 p.m. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ For the route to Heilbronn the route is assumed to be Pforzheim - Mühlacker - Bietigheim-Bissingen – Heilbronn. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ 3 p.m. through Berghausen. Following the Castor train is another train consisting of five diesel locomotives 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ CASTOR ran through Grötzingen, further routed probably through Heilbronn, where police presence is heavy. 0160 - 992 181 52+++++ 2:37 p.m. through Knielingen, train now differently assembled: two red locomotives, 6 passenger carriages, the first blue, 12 Castor cars, six passenger carriages, two red locomotives. Nothing known about a train in front or following. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ Train departs Wörth 2.38 p.m. +++++ Castor train reached Wörth at the Franco-German border. Police seized 40-50 activists. Train had run at high speed through France. Near Arras there were scuffles with police. Cars of the train being rearranged in Wörth. Train expected to start off at 2 p.m. Indications it will run Karlsruhe - Pforzheim - Bietigheim-Bissingen – Heilbronn. Police helicopter also watching Karlsruhe – Mannheim. 0160/992 181 52. +++++ About 20 police personnel carriers in Wörth, many other smaller vehicles. +++++ Train sequence: green locomotive, blue locomotive, painted passenger car, unpainted passenger car, 12 Castor cars, painted passenger cars, blue locomotive Pressestelle der südwestdeutschen Anti-Atom-Initiativen
Mobile 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ Press conference set for noon in Dannenberg +++++ Attorney charges police blocking access to media. Courts have declared illegal 2,000 police seizures of people during Castor transports since 2001. Francis Althoff, Bürgerinitiative Umweltschutz Lüchow- Dannenberg BI-Presseteam (05861) 986527, (0171) 545 46 84, 00170) 939 46 84 +++++ Change of police personnel from French to German 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ After train passed Avricourt, where Sébastien Briat was killed by last year’s Castor train, at 10:30, about 20 activists erected a memorial plaque beside the track, candles and flowers were placed. No accompanying helicopter in Lorraine. Thick fog, train running at high speed. Reding 9:29-10:02: Locomotives changed (now diesel), new mechanics, drinks for cops on train. Bischheim 11:05: 30 demonstrators see train pass at 40-50 km/h. Lots of press, police holding back. At midday local road to be renamed "rue des Castors" +++++ Members of Greenpeace group Kaiserslautern protested at central railway station. Train due to cross border around midday at Woerth/Lauterbourg. Eveline Marasas 0160 / 997 951 53 +++++ Maxéville (just before Nancy) 07:45 activists stop train for a quarter of an hour. No accompanying helicopter. Police push 60 activists out of the station. Train running 16 minutes ahead of schedule, apparently leaving out planned stops. Apparently being pushed through as fast as possible. +++++ In Nancy 8:09 a.m. Shortly before there were scuffles between about 60 protesters and police. No other action in or near Nancy. The 60 activists moved on to Avricourt. At that time no helicopter accompanied the train. Passed Arras Voyageurs at 2:05 a.m.. +++++ Police hindering media reporting in Wendland on unprecedented scale. Reporters kept away from population and protest groups. Court ruling sought to lift assembly ban. German newspaper publishers recently complained of a creeping erosion of press freedom in Germany. de.indymedia.org/2005/11/133014.shtml +++++ In the evening 200-300 people blocked Federal Road 216 between Lüneburg and Dannenberg with tractors and barricades. Police stretched to take control of traffic. When straw bales burned the road was closed for several hours. Pictures at germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133076.shtml, anti-atom-aktuell.de and goehrde.plentyfact.net.
Train with 12 Castors set off from Valogne around 5.25 p.m.. Expected in Wendland Monday morning if nothing holds it up. Links at x1000hamburg.de +++++ Demo pictures at germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133033.shtml and
germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133023.shtml +++++ Castor has no safety certificate, documentation kept secret: de.indymedia.org/2005/11/133014.shtml +++++ French nuclear opponents report at 4.35 p.m. that they have the second confirmation that the Castor train has to be punctual because a large strike is to start at 8 p.m. on Monday. The train stands in Valognes, only the start of it visible: 2 green diesel locomotives,
1 passenger car “painted” with advertising, 1 normal passenger car, 12 Castors?, 2 passenger cars?, 1 diesel locomotive? Normal police and CRS riot police are “protecting” all bridges. Police have been waiting since the morning. The page www.sortirdunucleaire.org/index.php
is kept up to date.