Thousands joined the demonstrations in the last days in Lutzerath to oppose the expansion of a gigantic open-pit mine that will swallow the now-empty village and the surrounding countryside.
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The famous Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has been forcibly removed by German police after participating in a protest near the western German village of Lützerath.
The area is being bulldozed to expand a controversial lignite mine. Like the other participants, Thunberg was dragged away by police officers.
Protest organisers say more than 35,000 people joined the demonstrations in the last days in Lutzerath to oppose the expansion of a gigantic open-pit mine that will swallow the now-empty village and the surrounding countryside. Police estimate the number to be closer to 10,000 people.
Environmentalists say bulldozing the village to expand the Garzweiler mine would result in huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.
The government and utility company RWE argue that the coal is needed to ensure Germany’s energy security.
The regional and national governments, both of which include the environmentalist Green party, reached a deal with RWE last year allowing it to destroy the abandoned village in return for ending coal use by 2030, rather than 2038.