Archive of Online Actions
2014: Online-Demo against Belo Monte Megadam
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The Norte Energia consortium is building a big dam on an indigenous area near the Xingu river in Brazil. The dam will devastate an area of over 1,500 square kilometers of rainforest, altering irreversibly the climate. Belo Monte Dam will be the world’s third-largest hydroelectric project and will displace up to 32,000 indigenous people. The particular section of the river most affected, called the Big Bend, happens to be home to indigenous and riverine communities.
The Brazilian government didn’t hold constitutionally required meetings with indigenous communities affected by the dam before granting permission in 2005 to start with the construction. The indigenous Xingu people are forced to leave their land without any compensation. We underline that the rights of the Xingu people are enshrined by a declaration of the United Nations. In a historic decision a regional court halted the construction of the Belo Monte dam on August 14, 2012. But the battle is far from over. The Norte Energia consortium, which is building the dam, will have an opportunity to appeal, which they have done successfully in the past.
The online demonstration against NORTE ENERGIA to stop the Belo Monte project lasted from 27 August to 30 September, 2012.
Read updates on our Belo Monte Campaign Blog. In 2018, Belo Monte is in the final stages of construction and already provides 11,233 megawatts of energy to 60 million Brazilians across the country. The construction of the Belo Monte was followed by the massive displacement of indigenous and traditional communities. On 2 January, 2018, two high-level government officials announced that the plan of building mega-dams in the Amazon will be stopped.
Press Releases:Indymedia Linksunten: Online-Demo — Belo Monte Protest (24.11.2014)
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2013: March Against Monsanto – Online Demonstration
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Monsanto has become the center stage for the destruction of our seeds, our diversity, our food, and our freedom. Beginning with the 1980s, when Monsanto drafted the laws imposing patents on life, even though life can’t be invented, and therefore is not patentable. Genetically modified plants are grown from seeds that are engineered to resist insecticides and herbicides, add nutritional benefits or otherwise improve crop yields and increase the global food supply. Most corn, soybean and cotton crops grown in the United States today have been genetically modified. Research studies have shown that Monsanto’s genetically-modified foods can lead to serious health conditions such as the development of cancer tumors, infertility and birth defects. Organic and small farmers suffer losses while Monsanto continues to forge its monopoly over the world’s food supply, including exclusive patenting rights over seeds and genetic makeup. Nothing can hide the social and ecological disasters that the diffusion of Monsanto’s seeds and pesticides is generating globally.
The March Against Monsanto is inspired by the love for freedom and democracy, the love for the Earth, the soil, the seeds. The March Against Monsanto in 2013 started on 25th May. On the same day, „Netzdemo Portal“ called for participation in a Virtual March Against Monsanto on websites and facilities around the world.
| During the netstrike, the participants could open an action webpage sending automated requests to Monsanto. Some used the online demonstration software ZDEMO ATTAC. Protesters could also use the Zapatista Tribal Port Scan to perform a portscan on monsanto.com in the web browser. |
Press Releases:Operation Greenrights: Monsanto Facilities /Websites Round the World (25.03.2013)Occupy Monsanto March Against Monsanto (25.03.2013)
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2012: First online demonstration against RWE
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The netactivists „Die Kellerasseln“ called for participation in the online action against German RWE Power AG on 15-22 November 2012. The netstrike was directed against brown coal burning RWE and in support of the forest occupation camp.
In 2012, RWE planned new coal power plants in the Rhenish brown coal district such as the 1,100-MW power plant in Niederaussem BoA „plus“, although the area already represents the largest source of CO2 in Europe. By using the label BoA plus (operating with optimized technology plus) and with a new design they want to hide the fact that there is no such thing as climate-friendly combustion of brown coal. Due to brown coal mining the formerly 4500 ha large forest area, Hambacher Forest, is cut down bit by bit. From 1 October 2012 to 31 March 2013, RWE continued clearcutting of the forest to enlarge the Hambach mine and exploiting several million tons of climate-damaging brown coal. 180 days, where many trees will fall and where the forest occupation camp is greatly threatened to be evicted. 180 days, where the clearing of the forest should be prevented. 180 days of online demonstration against RWE Power. Let’s unplug energy giant RWE!
The online demonstration against RWE Power AG was a success.
Several hundreds took part in the Virtual Sit-In between 15th to 22nd November 2012 using different kinds of online action tools.
| During the netstrike, the participants could open an action webpage sending automated requests to RWE. Some used the online demonstration software ZDEMO ATTAC. Emails were sent using the mailing form on the RWE website. Mailing was automated by an iMacros script that were distributed for the protest. |
Press Releases:
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2010: Netstrike against ARAL and Deutsche BP
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The Online Rally against BP in 2010 was a massive netstrike against ARAL and Deutsche BP connected with the pledge to stop deepwater oil drilling.
It took BP more than three months to end the oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico after the explosion of Deepwater Horizon, and the region will feel the effects of nearly five million barrels of oil that were spilled for decades to come. In order to support the actions against new drilling by BP in arctic waters off Alaska’s north coast and with the pledge to stop all oil drilling in deep sea the netactivists „Die Kellerasseln“ launched a massive netstrike against German ARAL and Deutsche BP websites.
The online demonstration took place Monday 25th October 2010 starting at 8 am (in the morning) and lastet 10 hours. Everyone with a PC and internet access could join the online demonstration against ARAL and Deutsche BP.
The online demonstration against ARAL and Deutsche BP was a success. Massive use of protest software and web-tools caused German BP servers to slow down.
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2009: Online-Demonstration against FRAPORT – Stop Airport Expansion
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On January 12th, 2009, a Virtual Sit-In of the FRAPORT propaganda web site [http://www.ausbau.fraport.de] took place. This online protest aimed at the expansion of Frankfurt airport (Germany) by the airport operating company Fraport. To build the new runway Nordwest at Frankfurt airport, Fraport will cut down trees in a protected forest reservoir and destroy habitats for birds and other animals. According to plans from Fraport the clearing of the Kelsterbach Forest was set to start on February 4th, 2009.
This forest has an important function in the region; it reduces pollutants and noise. Increasing air traffic at the Frankfurt airport will have negative consequences for the living quality for people in the region and increases greenhouse gas emission.
As in the previous online demonstration in 2005, everyone could join the online demonstration against Fraport. The most convenient way to take part was through a java-script html page in the browser. After pressing the „Start“ button, repeated requests were sent to the target, while it was still possible to do other things on the computer at the same time. An early version of the ZDEMO ATTAC software was also available in the protest. This tool with the name FRASTOP was based on the original Online Protest Software Kit, distributed for an online demonstration against lufthansa.com which took place on 20 June 2001. The 2009 event turned out to be the most popular online action of the net-activists „Die Kellerasseln“. Between 400 and 700 people took part in the Virtual Sit-In on January 12th.
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2006: Online demonstration against the construction of new European nuclear reactors in Finland and France
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In 2006 (9th – 10th November) a Virtual Sit-In of the AREVA-NP propaganda web site took place.
The first reactor of this type is build at the moment in Finland at Olkiluoto. The EPR is planned to generate about 1600 MW electrical power. The reactor is constructed by Framatome ANP, a firm that belongs to AREVA and SIEMENS. The AREVA group develops and constructs nuclear power plants and delivers nuclear fuel.
In Flamanville (Departement Manche, France) another EPR is planned to be build, Flamanville-3. It’s design is the same as the one in Finland. A confidential document of the EDF (Electricite de France) revealed severe safety problems.
Citation from the announcement text (translated from German):
On November 11 the next highly radioactive transport of 12 castor waggons leaves the plutonium plant in La Hague and a huge police corps is trying to protect this transport on its way to Gorleben.
Even after the very critical event at the Swedish reactor Forsmark new nuclear reactors are planned all over Europe. The EPR (European Pressurised Reactor) is a German-French consortium of the AREVA NP (the former FRAMATOME ANP). One third of AREVA NP is owned by German SIEMENS. The EPR is not only a plan to build a nuclear power plant in Finland and in France. It is about to become a prototype for the world market.
Therefore we initiated an online protest action against the EPR nuclear power plants.
This online protest wanted to give a clear sign against the EPR. We say NO to the EPR and YES to regenerative energies!
About 100 people have taken part in this online action. The website of AREVA NP Germany was down for some hours on November 9th.
Press Releases:
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Updated Information:
Significant deficiencies occurred in the construction of the two prestigious EPR reactors, Olkiluoto-3 in Finland and Flamanville-3 in France by the AREVA consortium. Obviously, safety aspects had a low priority relative to the financial interests behind the projects.
On November 15th, 2016, Areva and the Electricité de France (EDF) signed an agreement to acquire the reactor sector AREVA NP by the EDF for € 2.5 billion; AREVA NP is renamed New NP. The construction project Olkiluoto will not be transferred (so it will remain at Areva). The EU has approved French State aid to Areva worth € 4.5 billion, linked to its acquisition by EDF.
The original completion of Flamanville-3 was planned for 2012. Various problems led to a long delay. After the Fukushima disaster, the design of the steam generator in the reactor was changed and components for the protection of the reactor building had to be replaced because it was shown that the parts of the protective container were faulty.
In April 2015, the French Nuclear Regulatory Commission (ASN) found serious anomalies (cracks and carbon inclusions) on the reactor pressure vessel. The pressure vessel was manufactured by the Areva subsidiary Creusot Forge, which has supplied pressure vessels to 80 nuclear power plants worldwide since 1965. In January 2016, France legalized by law the crack reactor of Flamanville-3.
In June 2015, France’s nuclear safety agency found multiple malfunctioning valves in Flamanville that could cause its meltdown, in a similar scenario to the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident in the US.
In June 2017, Flamanville-3 received the provisional operating license from the French National Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), under the condition that the defective reactor vessel be replaced in 2024. Planned commissioning is the end of 2018.
2005: First Virtual Sit-In –
Stop Airport Expansion
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In 2005 (11-14 June) a Virtual Sit-In of the FRAPORT propaganda web site [http://ausbau.flughafen-frankfurt.com] was launched by the netactivists „Die Kellerasseln“. This online protest aimed at the expansion plans for Frankfurt airport (Germany) by the airport operating company Fraport. Demonstrations on the area of the Fraport company were not allowed and it was consequent to start a virtual demonstration.
The protest was announced in solidarity with the Libertad! campaign who had launched an online demonstration against Lufthansa and their deportation practice four years ago. One of the Libertad! campaigners was held responsible for
organising the Lufthansa demonstration and faced a trial before court on 14 June 2005.
Comparable to this former online demonstration, everyone could take part in the virtual sitin at FRAPORT by just one mouse click. The organizers of this protest used the virtual sitin script of the Electrohippies (from UK) and the protest web page was hosted at a several public providers (Yahoo, Angelfire, Topcities).
The frequency and intensity of these virtual „visits“ should make it clear to FRAPORT that the protesters do not agree with the airport expansion project.
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