Climate activism took a dramatic turn in western Germany as police officers carried away Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg, from the edge of an open coal pit mine.
Thunberg was among hundreds of people who resumed anti-mining protests at multiple locations in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, a day after the last two climate activists holed up in a tunnel beneath the village of Luetzerath left the site.
A police spokeswoman said a group of activists were in custody after having “broken away from the demonstration”, and ran towards the edge of an open pit. Officials were working to identify the protesters in custody, and a decision would be made later about what further action to take.
The spokeswoman added the activists had not been formally arrested.
The German government reached a deal with energy company RWE last year, allowing it to destroy the village of Luetzerath in return for ending coal use by 2030, rather than 2038. Both argue that coal is needed to ensure Germany’s energy security which is squeezed by the cut in the supply of Russian gas due to the war in Ukraine.
However, environmentalists argue that bulldozing Luetzerath will result in vast greenhouse gas emissions. Germany is expected to miss its ambitious climate targets for the second year in a row. The village itself was evacuated by the police in recent days and sealed off.
The demonstrations against the coal mine extension in Luetzerath continued as police officers secured the rally by climate protection activists near the village. Police stood next to environmentalists blocking the railway tracks for transporting lignite to German energy supplier RWE’s coal-fired power plant in Neurath, western Germany.
Glue was removed from a climate activist’s hand during a protest against the expansion of the Garzweiler open-cast lignite mine. Police prevented environmentalists from advancing towards Luetzerath.
On January 11, police and RWE started evicting protesters from Luetzerath, removing roadblocks, chopping down treehouses, and bulldozing buildings.
The situation in Luetzerath highlights the ongoing struggle between energy security and environmental protection, as well as the determination of climate activists to make their voices heard.
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