[ad_1]
In the Dannenröder forest, opponents of the A49 expansion again erected barricades and burned pyrotechnics on Saturday, and police used a water cannon when the temperature was below freezing. The forest floor is currently covered by a thin layer of snow; The images show activists shrinking from the jet of water.
A discussion broke out on Twitter about the proportionality of use. »Icy water cannons against peaceful protesters? It’s still working? “Leftist MP Anke Domscheit-Berg tweeted. Central Hesse police also described their point of view on Twitter: »The water cannon was used after multiple announcements and express threats. No one surprisingly got wet. “
According to the police, the activists had barricaded the emergency and rescue routes in an adjacent logistics warehouse: »The gate to the logistics warehouse is part of the emergency and rescue route. Therefore, unrestricted access should always be possible. “
After using the water cannon, the officers cleared the barricades. It is not yet clear if there were any injuries.
For more than a year, Hessian environmentalists have protested against the widening of the A49 between Gießen and Kassel, which is supposed to run through the forest area. According to the Vogelsberg district, construction of the motorway should start in September 2021. Initially, 27 hectares of forest will be cut down by February next year. The cleanup started a few weeks ago and is now nearing completion.
