German police force activists out of village to make way for coal mine

Climate activists hoping to halt the expansion of a coal mine near Lucerath, Germany have been removed from protest sites they have occupied for months or even years.

Hundreds of climate activists, including Greta Thunberg, have been removed by police from protest sites around the German village of Lucerath as authorities fight to contain public dissent over the expansion of a nearby coal mine.

Activists have been squatting in Lucerath, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, for more than two years to protest a planned expansion of the Garzweiler coal mine by German energy company RWE.

RWE owns the village and nearly all of its original residents were evicted prior to the planned demolition to make way for the mine expansion.

But protesters have occupied buildings and treehouses in and around the site for months, and in some cases years, in hopes of stopping development.

Police launched a major operation to clear the area of ​​activists on January 11 after the German government came to an agreement with RWE that the mine expansion could continue under certain conditions. Ministers say the project is essential for Germany’s energy security.

In exchange for permission to expand Garzweiler to Lützerath, RWE agreed to eliminate coal from its energy sources by 2030, eight years earlier than planned, and abandon plans to expand the mine to other nearby communities.

Climate change protesters say expanding coal production will accelerate climate change and undermine the German government’s promises to fight climate change. One of them told the BBC that digging for new coal is akin to “throwing the Paris Agreement in the trash.” The lignite mined in Garzweiler is the most polluting fossil fuel.

Speaking to activists on January 14 as part of a large rally in the fields near Lucerath, Thunberg said Germany is “now embarrassing itself” by allowing the expansion of a coal mine. According to a German newspaper, on January 15, she was photographed as police escorted her away from a nearby protest site. Buildalong with other protesters.

In total, German police say they have removed about 300 activists from and around Lucerat in recent days, paving the way to secure the site. Tensions between activists and police were high, with police officers criticized for using water cannons and batons to disperse activists.

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