Grassroots - the Official Newspaper of Bomballey

Areai retakes large swathes of territory, proclaims Haanean Empire; cannibalism reported; EU councillor among the dead; body of Comtois exhumed

The government of Josephine Areai has again risen to prominence. With the recent creation of a power vacuum, she has retaken, in the span of a few hours, all territory north and west of Kiel, inclusive.

A number of atrocities, however, have been reported from the area. According to eyewitness reports, Areai's soldiers indiscriminately killed, resulting in gruesome scenes in which piles of bodies were seen dotting the roads of the cities, rivulets of blood streaming into gutters and falling into stormdrains, the smell of metal in the air.

They then engaged in the wholesale deportation of the population of Kiel, forcing them to march several kilometers to ad hoc concentration camps where they were expected to work in the recreation of industry and the rejuvenation of agriculture. Escapees have reported the usage of torture, especially branding, as well as the institution of a bizarre religion in which individuals were expected to worship and devote themselves to Areai.

Areai, meanwhile, claimed that the nation had become her body, and that through her everything existed. She then proclaimed Eastern Haane to be an absolute monarchy with her as its immortal head, naming it the "Haanean Empire." She allegedly plans to institute a neo-feudalist economy.

In cities which remain under the control of "People's Assemblies," mass cannibalism was reported. As those initially nailed to walls died, more were found and nailed, and so on and so forth. Many have already died; a number of accounts have stated that the bodies were thrown into crowds before being eaten raw in an animalistic way.

By all accounts, the bones were loaded into trucks before being driven off to be made into bone meal. What remains of the flesh was stripped off from the bone and let to decompose as to use as fertilizer.

EU councillor Martin Bourgaize, who had returned to Eastern Haane to visit his husband and children, was among the dead. He was not killed in the first wave; instead, he was forced to watch his husband and children die and be eaten , while at the same time being tortured with a heated brand, before suffering the same fate.

Meanwhile, as the forces of Areai closed in, forces of the People's Assembly reportedly exhumed the body of Mathilde Comtois before cutting it into pieces. By all accounts, the body was burned and the ashes and bones ground to a dust which was then thrown into the Great Lake.k

Death cults form; mass suicides occur in countryside

As atrocities occur across Eastern Haane, a number of death cults have begun to form, proclaiming the liberation of the spirit from the body with death. Many have become attracted to these, and mass suicides have started to occur.

With only eight million people left within the country and fast declining, these gruesome events have only worsened the situation. Large "caravans" of people were seen emerging from cities, entering villages razed in the previous conflict before ingesting cyanide and other poisons. Individuals attempting to flee the country have discovered scenes in which rotting bodies, emitting a putrid, sickly sweet smell, have been discovered in endless rows, all contorted, their faces in various expressions of pain, a white foam dotting their mouths.

The phenomenon existed within the cities as well, with many individuals setting themselves on fire, shooting, or poisoning themselves. This is mainly a group activity however; an estimated 85% of suicides involved at least ten others.

Nothing is being done to dispel the suicides, save for a program in which 'suspicious' individuals are thrown off buildings, while 'risky' ones are forced to work in the countryside to 'reform their minds.' Escapees have described torture as being a major part of this reformation.

The bodies are generally burnt before being thrown into lakes by authorities; they are not used as fertilizer as a result of the cyanide ingestion.

The activity of burning the bodies has driven many public servants to insanity, causing them too to join the cults, further increasing the terror and the deportations to the countryside.

hElp me

They are coming for us. Them. Them. Help us. We will all die. Hell has truly come, come for the first time. Everyone is dead; and we are next. Oh, God, have mercy on us! Have mercy! Have mercy! Have mercy, oh most Great God!

We are surrounded by darkness, by demons, and now we shall be overcome. We have lived lives of sin; but now we repent. God, deliver us! Oh most holy God, holy of holies, deliver us from this madness!

Hear us! Have mercy!

Have mercy!

They shall not pass! Have mercy! Let us survive this hell, this hell more terrible than hell! We are dying, dying. Deliver us!

We beg

Oh nations of Europe, we have appealed to God. We have faith that He will answer; but we are surrounded, surrounded by demons and darkness.

We are all at the foot of death, at the doors of Hell. Deliver us; we beg of you to do something to liberate us from this hell! The masses have truly gone mad, tortured; we are afraid that we will as well, if it comes too late.

Everyone is mad, the demons are everywhere. Deliver us, liberate us, intervene! We beg of you!

May God be with you.

They are here

Do you not hear them, screaming? Do you not hear their bangs? They are the tortured masses of Hell, screaming as they are tortured. We are all sinners, all condemned to Hell. Nothing shall come; we are already dead, and this is our punishment.

Let the living pray for us, let God have mercy. But we shall have none, for we have rejected him. This is our punishment; by holding it off we are only torturing ourselves more.

It is too late. We have already condemned ourselves. We shall die a thousand, a million, painful deaths, for that is our inheritance.

Let it come.

They are all gone

The demons have taken them elsewhere, to some other hell. I don't know where I am.

Pierre, Marie, all of them, they have been taken, and I have been left here, to suffer in the pools of the blood and with the rotting bodies. There is no food, no water, but what does that matter when we are all dead? We are truly, truly in Hell, for I cannot imagine anything worse.

The door is red-hot; the flames dance outside, the masses dancing in them crazily back and forth, falling as they are singed too far. They are lucky, in that they cannot feel right now. They will now, but at the very least, God has given them that mercy. He has not given it to me. This suffering shall be eternal. I don't remember what I did; but I was a sinner, an apostate, and have received. He is not there; He is not here. There is no God, not here. He exists; but elsewhere. He has rejected us, for we were the evil.

What have we done? What have we done? Have mercy on us, if you can hear! Have mercy! Have mercy, oh most holy God!

Taste the flesh

The flesh is good. It is good. Taste it. He had forbidden us to eat it, but it is good. Taste it. Taste the flesh. Otherwise I must taste you. You are good. You are flesh. Taste it. Taste it. Taste the flesh.

Death is a sweet bliss

Death is here, but we must except it. She will liberate us from this existence. Take sweet death, and we shall be free, with only a little pain. The world has gone crazy, and we live a living hell; but we can escape, if only we accept that which we once shunned. We shall be free, with only a little pain. Take the death, sweet death, sweet death.

It

We are happy. We are happy. We are happy. We are liberated. The flesh is here. Take it. Eat it. You shall be liberated. We are happy. We are happy. We are happy. We are happy. We are happy. Liberated. Take the flesh. Eat the flesh. Taste it. Taste it.

We have killed God

God is dead. God is dead. He cannot be alive, otherwise we would not be here. What can be done? His death has caused this to happen. He is dead, and there is no more reason to live. Everything is nonsense, both death and life, and there is no order. Everything is wrong, everything is perverted, for God is dead.

What can be done? What can be done? Why? Why? Why? Why?

The sacred plant is dead

They have killed it. Our lifeline to God and the Holy Spirit. They went into the rock, the demons, and they killed it. It screamed, and they burnt it, the demons. Everything is dead, dead, dead! It is all gone! We are dead! Dead! There is no life or death, now that the plant is gone!

The essence of truth is gone, there is no more truth, no more fact. Everything is confused.

Why do you torment us like this, demon? What have we, what have any of us done to deserve this? We are in Hell, we know this, and you cannot convince us with your lies otherwise. At the very least we may take comfort in this, that in death we can recognize evil. Nothing we do will affect anything, no matter how horrible it is. In this life, at the very least, we are free to take vengeance on those who have wronged us in the previous. We eat the flesh of the human not because we think it right but because we are rebelling, rebelling against Hell itself. If we cannot escape, then we ourselves will defy you and become your overlords.

You call yourself Angela Merkel? You preach the revolution to us? We are rebelling against you and your Hell, and you cannot stop us. We shall become the demons of Hell above you.

Long live the Revolution!

It is the youth who shall free us

The young of the Haanean State have long been rebellious. Forced to come to Bomballey by their parents, many of them have harbored resentment towards Areai and the Party for a long time.

It is they, who make up about half of the population of the Haanean State in Bomballey, whose population under the government of Copala City swelled as a result of mass immigration, simply due to the sheer number of children many of Areai's followers have had, who now support the government of Marine Marchand, independence, and the human-chain protests.

"It's an opportunity we've never had before," said an eighteen year old in the human chain before the barricades erected by citizens. "It feels as though, at least for me, that we have been freed. No longer do we have to remain under the feet of our parents; the schools are to be re-opened on a new basis, I've heard; there will finally be protections for our LGBT community, for people like my girlfriend and I."

"Now, perhaps he'll will come back," said a sixteen year old cryptically, holding up a sign proclaiming the 'unending independence' of the Haanean State alongside the eighteen-year old previously mentioned.

Reasons for the Haanean State's popularity among the young are many. It is significantly more progressive than Areai's government, thus allowing the large but underground LGBTQ+ community to perhaps be able to rise into the open, without fear of repercussion. While many fear of possible anger from the older population of the State, most believe that this will be minimal.

"Areai is and was psychotic, and everyone above the age of thirty is now beginning to recognize it. I don't think any of her ideology will stand in but a few months," said a twenty-one year old. "No one wants to be involved with a criminal against humanity who, for that matter, is perhaps the most depraved person in all history. I will never forget those disgusting videos that Le Berre released, never. They will absolutely haunt me forever."

Others think differently: "Oh yes, they might try to throw me out a window for dating him," said a nineteen-year old, "but at the very least, I am no longer legally their property. I am recognized as an individual with specific rights entailed in our Constitution, as is everyone else. I may seek protection from the courts, which thankfully are elected not by those hags but rather by Marchand and her government, who have fought for us at every turn."

Another may involve the status of labor under it. Under Areai, all labor was in service of the "Empress;" in essence, her. Now, however, labor is considered entirely inalienable, an act of self-expression, dynamism, and creativity, and is no longer celebrated simply for contributing to some vacuous "Heaven" to come but rather simply for being labor. This is especially tantalizing for the young simply because of their exposure, through social media, with what they view as a "better" system in their home country.

"It's an amazing thought," said a twenty-two year old walking to join the human chain protests, carrying a picket with him. "We will be among the few in the world to be free; for whom labor is not a tiring act performed for some distant authority, but rather as a long, uplifting, work of art created for oneself, in knowledge of those around one, one's friends, one's comrades."

In any case, the youth are rallying to the cause of independence and liberty. They are the ones forming the human chains which protect us all from the Reitzmic aggressors, which wish to place us, our nation, which deserves self-determination, under their thumb; they are the ones standing at our borders shouting and singing that we will never give up, that we will stand for our independence until the end of the world; they are the ones who have and will fight for our liberty.

HUMAN CHAIN PROTESTS AT BORDER WITH COPALA CITY AND REITZMAG

All news and information regarding the protests, no matter how frivolous, will be published here.

PROTESTORS JOIN HANDS

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Protestors outside a park on the border of the State

Reitzmic authorities have begun to attempt the arrest of several protestors, prompting many to join their hands, tightly, as to ensure that no one person may be taken without taking all others.

PROTESTS FORM IN CITY SQUARES AND ALONGSIDE CITY ROADS

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Protestors along a boulevard in Bomballey

As authorities continue to attempt arrests, across the State have many been informed. Many, from the elderly to the young, previously in their homes, have now taken to the streets to protest. It is estimated that up to 60% of the population, largely newer immigrants, may be protesting. The young continue to dominate.

PENSIONERS' UNION: WE SHALL POUR BOILING WATER ON THEIR HEADS IF THEY DARE ENTER OUR STATE

The elderly, often brought to the territory as the youth have been, have always been more moderate than the middle-aged in the territory of the Haanean State, although not as much as the young. While making up only a small percentage of the population, the Pensioners' Union, a formerly underground association, has made a shortstatement:

"We are ready to defend our independence with all we have. We will not go without a fight. We shall pour boiling water on their heads if they dare enter our state; even with our enfeebled bodies, we shall attack them with everything that we possess."

CANE DONATIONS FOR THOSE AT THE FRONTLINES

Several underground unions have come together to ask that people lend all that they have that is long - for example, canes or umbrellas - for the purposes of giving those in the human chain some defense.

Collection boxes are being placed at every street.

BARRICADES ERECTED

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A barricade along a residential street near the border

At several roads into Bomballey, especially those which are narrower, barricades formed out of all manner of things, from furniture to cars, were erected by protestors as to slow the movement of Reitzmic invaders into the State. The human chain protests continue without breakage; umbrellas and canes are now popular as to keep Reitzmic soldiers away.

THE WHOLE OF THE STATE NOW ON THE STREETS

It is now believed that the whole of the State is now on the streets, forming an impassible barrier.

WALL OF FIRE AS OPIUM SMOKE, IEVONUIA MIST WITHOUT SOURCE FLOATS THROUGHOUT BORDERS OF CITY

Protestors at multiple locations have lighted a wall of fire as to keep the Reitzmic soldiers at bay. At the same time, copious amounts of opium smoke and ievonuia mist have been detected at the borders of Bomballey, coming from an unknown source. Neither are prohibited; however, this form of release is illegal.

The release of the smoke and mist remains without stop. The citizens' militia is attempting to identify the source.

THE ELDERLY OFFER REITZMIC SOLDIERS BAKED GOODS

The elderly, in addition to many others, have left Reitzmic soldiers with a large selection of baked goods, including a great number of cakes. They believe that the soldiers will enjoy them very much.

(OOC: Yes, they're edibles.)

AIR IN BOMBALLEY 'MEDLEY OF DRUGS'

The air in Bomballey, upon analysis, is saturated with various drug aerosols, up to fifteen in number, most of which appear to be derived from substances created by the flora of the Haane - the present-day Union of Syndicates. The level of danger is high. Citizens are advised to wear multiple masks and cover their eyes. A distribution program is ongoing. Five clinics throughout the State have been opened to treat citizens suffering from the effects of these drugs. The citizens' militia continues to look for the source.

*Correction: while drugs are present in the air, they are not so in the form of aerosol.

DO NOT BURN YOUR HERBS

The burning of herbs, as well as that of special incense given by Areai two weeks ago, is a danger to the public safety.

HERB BURNING CONTINUES; MILITIA SAYS IT HAS BURIED 'DETERRENTS' AT UNSPECIFIED LOCATIONS

Despite the public warning, herb burning has continued, in fact expanding in scale, worsening air quality and likely introducing further intoxicants into the air. The State is working to counteract this.

The citizens' militia claims to have worked with protestors to have buried "deterrents" at unspecified locations. These deterrents will cause no damage to life or to property; however, in some way, they will slow the advance of Reitzmic forces.

CITY BLANKETED WITH SMOKE AS BURNING CONTINUES; RATIONING BEGINS

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The wall of fire meant to protect the State from invaders, the fires lit to keep protestors at the center of the city warm, and the herb burning have blanketed the State with thick, fog-like smoke. Visibility is extremely low. The State continues to advise citizens to wear multiple masks and cover their eyes; the distribution program is nearing completion.

Meanwhile, all goods previously for sale have been confiscated by the State due to growing shortages. They will be distributed according to need among all citizens.

FIRES CONFIRMED TO BE OF COOKING, OTHER OIL PRODUCTS

TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC: The wall of fire appears to have been, upon further investigation, of cooking oil. It is thus recommended that water is not placed onto it - or is, depending on the purpose.

BARRICADES 'FORMALIZED,' BECOMING WALLS; MORE CLINICS OPENED

The citizens' militia is currently formalizing barricades, installing barbed wire as well as unused concrete panels before or behind them. Gates, on the sidewalk, previously unblocked by the barricades, have been made from wood taken from doors. Currently, the State is asking for donations of doors as for this purpose, as well as for the provision of raw material.

At the same time, as air quality continues to worsen across Bomballey and more fall victim to the effects of the intoxicants present in the air, three more clinics have been opened by our doctors and nurses. Medicine donations are asked for at this time.

We honor all the workers who have taken time from their lives as to aid in this effort for our liberty.

GUILLOTINE SET UP IN BOMBALLEY CENTRAL SQUARE

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A guillotine, for unknown reasons, has been erected in the Bomballey Central Square by protestors. Updates forthcoming.

OIL TO BE REQUISITIONED

The Haanean State may face a crisis regarding shortages of oil of all types in the coming days, as it remains besieged. As a result, it is to requisition all oil in the city for redistribution as according to the current rationing system, to ensure that it may survive for longer.

LATRINES DUG AS STATE MANDATES WATER COLLECTION

The Government of the Haanean State has begun the requisition of water as it worries of a potential shortages, ordering that:

each citizen returns four gallons of water a day.
the citizen's militia returns another two gallons per member a day
a special collection force shall be set up to collect eight gallons of water directly from pipes per day per member of the collection force.

Water will then be distributed from the distribution centers where all essentials are currently being distributed.

Meanwhile, in coordination with the laborers of our nation, it has organized a well-digging effort, asking for water filters to be donated, so that water may be available to the city for much longer.

Pit latrines, as part of a similar effort, are being constructed across Bomballey, in the case that plumbing fails, as well as to provide fertilizer to crops, upon cleaning via a process being developed by our scientists.

NETWORK OF ROPES TO APARTMENT BUILDINGS UNDER SIEGE ESTABLISHED

It must be conceded that some of our State has been lost to those who wish to take away our right to independence.

Those who live in those parts which have been taken away have barricaded themselves inside their buildings, filling the ground floors of their buildings with furniture and, in some cases, their vehicles, as well as other objects, boarding up their windows.

They have voted in our elections, through virtual assemblies on a great number of platforms; they have gone as far as to light "solidarity fires" on their roofs.

Yet they have not been able to receive our food, our essentials.

This is now rectified.

A system of ropes now connects all those buildings under siege. Lifted above the buildings by poles, they are used for the purpose of transportation above the streets, as to transport our materials to those within the buildings.

PROTESTORS RETURN TO THEIR HOMES

Protestors have returned to their homes following the arrival of the Copala Police which, in a shocking move, has in fact protected them from deportation.

"If we are to remain here, then what is the reason to protest?" said a young man.

Many of the fires, both of herbs and of cooking oil, have been put out; some, although not all, barricades have been demolished; those manning those that remain in place are allowing the free passage of individuals into Bomballey.

In other news, the Chamber of Deputies, in a shocking move, has decided to reject the motion of no confidence, instead proposing an end to the Haanean State but not of Bomballey's form of governance, in which the borough would again become part of Copala City.

Senate rejects repeal of public indecency laws, agreements for peace

The Senate, the upper chamber of the People's Congress of the Haanean State and responsible for the review of all proposed legislation, has rejected, through unanimous vote, the movement of the Government to:

repeal public indecency laws
attempt to reach peace with both Copala City and Reitzmag

"We stand on the path towards firm independence," said the Elder of the Senate at a press conference earlier this evening. "We cannot jeopardize this for the sake of some vacuous 'security.'"

In the official review of the actions of the Government by the Senate, the legislation is condemned as being "not conducive towards the maintenance of public safety," "liable to cause extreme disorder," and "a violation of several central clauses of the Constitution of our Haanean State."

The reason? Many members of the Senate feel as though the repeal of the public indecency laws would result in the spread of disease due to the activity they would enable; as well as public disorder as a result not simply of these actions but also a result of anger generated by their simple shockingness.

The agreements for peace were rejected simply as a result of the strongly pro-independence tendencies of the Senate, which has no representation for the sole anti-independence bloc, the Conservative Party.

The Government has made the following response:

"The rejection of these laws, especially the peace agreements, saddens us. We have from our very foundation stood for the preservation of Haanean culture in Bomballey; this decision to erode them, coming not from the outside but from ourselves, is deeply worrying and depressing. It is this preservation that must be above all else, even independence."

Several members of the Chamber of Deputies are preparing a motion of no-confidence in the Government. If such a motion succeeds, then it is up to the Senate to propose a new Government to be formed.

The High Elder's statement for her colleague

The High Elder has released the following statement regarding the severe injuries to her colleague Kelarōn Juvinal, the former Minister of Labor under her 1993 government:

"Kelarōn has been a friend of mine since we were but youths. They have always been close with me; and I with them; we were almost as close as 'partners.' At some point I even went to them with the intention of becoming such 'partners;' but of course they were not interested in that. Kelarōn had different interests, different tastes."

"We confided in each other everything; asked each other everything. There was the greatest trust and respect between each of us. And now, those who rule the Union - I do not believe it could be Lepik, it could not be him, that hopeless romantic - they have tried to kill them, one of the greatest of our modern Haaneans. They gave so much to their nation; and these monsters, they dare to try to kill them. They will pull through; they pulled through so much abuse in the years of the Areaist blackness. All my hope is directed to this."

"I demand that these monsters step down. They can continue their insanity no longer. They want to bring down every aspect of our culture, every great individual who has defended it and allowed for its rebirth, and replace it with some bland, "Westernized" state. Resist, Haaneans! Resist this regime! Bring it down, so that democracy and socialism and our nation may prevail forever!"

"Kelarōn has proven themself to be one of the greatest Haaneans of our modern age, one of the great fighters for freedom who shall surely go down in history. They have sacrificed their safety and wellbeing for our nation; we must follow in their footsteps. Rally to their example, O Haaneans, and fight for your lives!"

Istkalen

PROCLAMATION OF THE COPALAN REPUBLIC

Citizens; the Committee for the Preparation of Copalan Independence, upon reviewing closely the prevailing conditions in Copala City, proclaims the formal establishment of the Copalan Republic.

The people throughout our city have been plunged into bitter suffering and tribulations since the Reitzmic government betrayed it so terribly, occupying it and forcing upon it the most odious of diktats. Fortunately, the CPCI, joined by the many patriots fighting for our city and backed by the whole of the population, struggling to defend the integrity of our city, protect the people's lives and property, to relieve the people of their sufferings, and to struggle for their rights, has pushed away the arm of the villainous Reitzmic government. The people of this city have been liberated; it is to them, to us all, to prevail in this in perpetuity. The Copalan Independence Army, in this vein, has been established as to secure our city from the occupiers; Copalan citizens and insurgents are recommended to join it if they are willing to fight for their city.

But representing the will of the whole of our city, the CPCI has established, through the passage of the Organic Law of Copala CIty, the Interim Government of the Copalan Republic, composed of the Council of State and the Council of MInisters, whose members will be announced in due course.

The Interim Government instructed the CPCI, which has been working arduously for this moment, to make known to the populace the establishment of the Republic and the end of Reitzmic tyranny in Copala City. At the same time, it decided to declare, through the CPCI, to the governments of all other countries that this government is the sole legal government representing all the people of Copala City. This government is willing to establish diplomatic relations with any foreign government that is willing to observe the principles of equality, mutual benefit, and mutual respect of territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The Interim Government has taken office today, and has made it its priority as to cement independence and establish the state organs of our Republic with great speed.

Long live our city; long live the Republic.

The Copalan anthem plays.