© Reuters. Local weather activist Greta Thunberg joins the activists protesting towards the growth of the Garzweiler open-cast lignite mine of Germany’s utility RWE to Luetzerath, in Keyenberg, Germany, January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen
2/5
LUTZERATH (Reuters) – Round 6,000 protesters – together with local weather activist Greta Thunberg – marched by way of mud and rain to the German village of Luetzerath on Saturday, based on a police estimate, demonstrating towards the growth of an opencast lignite mine.
The clearing of the village within the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia was agreed between RWE and the federal government in a deal that allowed the power big to demolish Lutzerath in change for its sooner exit from coal and saving 5 villages initially slated for destruction.
“This can be a betrayal of current and fuure generations… Germany is likely one of the greatest polluters on the planet and must be held accountable,” Thunberg mentioned on a podium, after she marched with a cardboard signal saying in German “Luetzi stays”, utilizing a shortened title of the village.
Because the protesters neared the village, they have been confronted by police in riot gear, and a few used batons to push the protesters again.
Regional police mentioned on Twitter it had used pressure to cease folks from breaking by way of obstacles an nearing the hazard zone on the fringe of the excavation space.
Earlier this week, police cleared out protesters from buildings they’ve occupied for nearly two years in try to cease the close by mine’s growth.
On Saturday, solely few remained tenting out in treehouses and an underground tunnel, however 1000’s turned as much as protest towards the mine, which activists say symbolises Berlin’s failing local weather coverage.
The president of North Rhine-Westphalia instructed German radio Deutschlandfunk on Saturday that power politics was “not all the time fairly” however that the coal was wanted greater than ever in gentle of the power disaster confronting Europe’s greatest financial system.
Earlier Economic system Minister Robert Habeck instructed Spiegel on Friday that Lutzerath was the “improper image” to protest towards.
“It’s the final place the place brown coal shall be mined – not a logo for more-of-the-same, however for the ultimate frontier.”
However activists have mentioned Germany shouldn’t be mining any extra lignite and concentrate on increasing renewable power as a substitute.
