What we have achieved!
Protest wave April 2025
A colorful camp full of community
In April 2025, we did a wonderful job.. Directly opposite Heidelberg Materials we have set up a camp with:
- Workshops on
- sustainable building materials,
- the destruction by Heidelberg Materials in Palestine, Kendeng and Western Sahara,
- the transformation lies of the cement industry,
- damage caused by unnecessary demolition,
- creative forms of protest,
- u.v.m.
- Concerts by Hale01 and SIM
- Kitchen for everyone from morning to evening
- Meeting and networking places around the building transition
- And so on...
The destruction by the cement industry must stop. We want affordable housing instead of speculative objects. We want community instead of isolation. We want wood and clay instead of concrete. In short: We want the construction change!
And we've come one step closer to that.
Actions that have attracted attention
Parallel to the End Cement Festival, events around Heidelberg Materials took place all over Heidelberg. Some have targeted Heidelberg Materials directly, others have focused on sponsoring the Heidelberg Spring through HDM.
Saturday, 5.4.2025
Greenwashing made visible at Heidelberg Materials
Lasse has colored a building by Heidelberg Materials in bright-green. Because: The company has been washing itself green for decades, but the outcry remains.
Saturday, 5.4.2025
"Geil auf Beton" demo
It seems as if Heidelberg Materials has called a counter-emo! Threatening concrete heads run through the city with "There is no right to green areas and trees" sayings.
Saturday, 5.4.2025
Climate Killer Sponsorship
The Heidelberg Spring offers HDM a stage to present itself as a benefactor. That is why we have corrected advertising posters of the Heidelberg Spring throughout the city.
Sunday, 6.4.2025
Fruehling without cement
Right at the festival center, we made it clear with barriers, posters and banners: climate killer sponsorship is a no-go.
Friday, 11.4.2025
Climate strike
End Cement 🤝 Fridays for the Future
Together, we made it clear once again at the Global Climate Strike: There is no room for climate killers in Heidelberg.
Wednesday, 9.4.2025
The decline of culture
At the admission of a concert from the Heideberg Spring, we showed how climate killer sponsorship actually sounds musical. 😖
Monday, 7.4.2025
Cement plant blockade
The cement plant directly south of Heidelberg Materials was blocked by several wonderful people. Cement plants kill – if politics does not prevent this, it is time to take it into your own hands.
Monday, 7.4.2025
Bannerdrop
Right next to the cement plant blockade, a huge "It's Time to End Cement Banner" was hung.
Tuesday, 8.4.2025
Unsealing
Our floors are packed with concrete. Our soils are dying, the heat is getting worse and flooding is getting more drastic. That’s why we removed a little concrete and planted seeds.
Tuesday, 8.4.2025
Climate Killer Party
In the foyer of Heidelberg Materials, we celebrated a climate killer party right before a planned concert. Since we were thrown out on edge, we continued at the door.
Broad press coverage
The protest camp
03.04.2025 – Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung | A protest camp for the "Bauwende"
04.04.2025 – Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung | "End Cement" protest camp in the park on the Heidelberger Uferstraße
07.04.2025 – Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung | Open letter from Heidelberg Materials to "Alliance End Cement"
07.04.2025 – Deutschlandfunk | The music journal Minute 19:45
08.04.2025 – Mannheimer Morgen | What it looks like in the protest camp against Heidelberg Materials
08.04.2025 – Mannheimer Morgen | Comment: Heidelberg Materials should accept the offer of conversation
09.04.2025 – Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung | Why concrete is so climate-damaging and so hard to replace
12.04.2025 – Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung | Together against the climate crisis and Heidelberg Materials
12.04.2025 – nd | »End Cement«Activist: »We need this public pressure.«
Actions in advance
13.03.2025 – Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung | Climate activists disrupted theater visit
28.03.2025 – Kommunalinfo Mannheim | Heidelberg Materials "recognized" as Germany's largest CO2 emitter
Colored greenwashing
05.04.2025 – RNF | Leimen: Activist of "End Cement" sprays facade of Heidelberg Materials
05.04.2025 – Rheinzeitung | 26-Year-old attacks building materials manufacturer with paint
05.05.2025 – Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung | 26-year-old greases Heidelberg Materials building
05.04.2025 – Heidelberg24 | Color attack on Heidelberg Materials – activists accuse company of "greenwashing"
06.04.2025 – Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung | Activist of "End Cement" smearing buildings with paint
Cement plant blockade
07.04.2025 – RNF | "End Cement": Activists protest at Heidelberg Materials
07.04.2025 – SWR Newsticker | Activists block Heidelberg Materials
07.04.2025 – Tagesschau | Leimen: All activists replaced by street in front of Heidelberg Materials
07.04.2025 – Mannheimer Morgen | Climate protest in Leimen: activists block cement plant
07.04.2025 – Kommunalinfo Mannheim | Group "End Cement" blocks cement plant of Heidelberg Materials
08.04.2025 – VOL.at | Blockade at Heidelberg Materials: Police arrive with hammer and chisel
Further actions
05.04.2025 – Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung | Activists are anything but 'horny on concrete'
09.04.2025 – Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung | Climate activists built 'protest wall' in railway town
09.04.2025 – Mannheimer Morgen | Heidelberg Materials issues house ban on climate activists
Achievements achieved
The protest wave was successful!
- We have clearly shown that resistance is growing.
- We talked to a lot of people about a change of construction.
- With these actions, we have been able to put pressure on the Heidelberg Spring and Heidelberg Materials.
- We have put together a broad programme.
- We have created a delicious kitchen for everyone.
- We hit the plaster with creative actions.
- We have attracted local and regional press attention.
- We have networked and established closer networks.
- After five years, we received a response from the Group for the first time:
1. Our call invitation by Heidelberg Materials
3. Our response to the Open Letter:
2. Open letter from Heidelberg Materials to us:
We have since met and talked to each other, Heidelberg Materials and End Cement! In this first background conversation we first met. One of the issues we raised was the resistance of an indigenous group in the Kendeng Mountains in Indonesia.
Another focus was the large amount of CO2 emissions from cement production.
We now propose a further meeting with the Board and a public discussion event to exchange the arguments.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Together we have achieved these successes! Whether you’ve been preparing for months, just dropping by for a workshop or standing in the kitchen all day sniffing: big thanks!
In particular, thanks to the Movement Hub, EWS Schönau, Workshop for Nonviolent Action, Redistribution, InfraUnited, Food Done Left, and many more.
It continues
The protest wave was only a beginning. See you again next year and until then: join the End Cement Group! 🩶💚 Whether in campaign advice or simply as support for actions, events or breakfast together.
JOIN NOW
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