Police Clear Activist-Occupied Forest in Freiburg for Housing Project

Activists opposed to tree felling for the Dietenbach district were removed from the site, with some resorting to extreme measures to resist eviction.

A police operation removed activists from a forest in Freiburg, designated for the construction of the Dietenbach housing district, which aims to address the city's housing shortage for 16,000 residents.
Protesters had built treehouses and underground structures to prevent the felling of trees, with one person found chained and encased in a concrete and glass mixture underground.
The operation involved stabilizing the underground site due to risks of collapse from heavy rain, and the individual was safely freed with the help of technical rescue teams.
At least nine activists are under investigation for alleged violations, including breaches of assembly laws and masking bans, while several others were detained temporarily during the clearance.
The forest area has been partially cleared, but no further tree felling is planned until Monday, as the city enforces a temporary closure of the site.