German police remove climate protestors from Lützerath following skirmishes near a coal mine

According to German officials, they have virtually eliminated all climate activists from German communities being demolished to make room for coal mine expansion.

Hundreds of police drove his 300 activists out of Lützerath during an operation that began Wednesday.

A day after hostilities broke out between the two sides, police say they evicted activists waiting at the treehouse.

Police said two of his men at the scene in western Germany were still holding out in underground tunnels.

“There are no more activists in the village of Lützerath,” according to authorities, and by Friday all the buildings had been demolished. Police said 35 “tree structures” and more than 30 wooden structures were also removed.

Climate activists have argued that coal under villages and near open-pit lignite mines should be left in the ground to prevent it from being destroyed.

Activists say burning coal is undermining Germany’s efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The last resident of the village, which belongs to the energy company RWE, left the village more than a year ago.

With Germany pledging to phase out coal power by 2030 and bringing forward the 2038 schedule, Lützelath will be the last village to be swallowed by Garzweiler’s open-pit lignite mine. Expected. RWE predicted that the village’s coal reserves would be needed this winter.

Thunberg joins the “Pinky” and “Brain” underground protests after being separated from the German coal community.
Police used batons and water cannons to disperse protesters on Saturday, escalating tensions between the two sides.

Ambulance workers at the activist group said about 20 protesters were injured and taken to hospital.

About 70 police officers have been injured since they began clearing the area on Wednesday, a police spokeswoman said. Many of these officers were wounded during Saturday’s fighting.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg took part in the demonstration, denouncing a “police attack” to remove other climate activists from the area.

Police officials estimated there were only about 15,000 protesters on Saturday, compared with 35,000 claimed by climate change activists.