Protest in Lutzerath police carry Greta Thunberg away from the

Protest in Lützerath: police carry Greta Thunberg away from the edge of the demolition

Authorities again used pepper spray and batons around clearing the settlement in favor of brown coal mining. Several activist groups rely on decentralized actions, for example in the Ministry of the Interior in North Rhine-Westphalia. Greta Thunberg is also in the region.

Following the evacuation of the settlement of Lützerath in North Rhine-Westphalia, there were further clashes between protesters and police on Tuesday. Officers also used batons and pepper spray again, a police spokesman confirmed. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was one of several demonstrators who were taken by police from the demolition ledge of the Garzweiler open pit lignite mine and held for identification purposes.

Police confirmed on Tuesday that Thunberg was part of the group that moved towards the edge and was stopped and taken away. The mine has a sharp edge, staying there is dangerous and prohibited. A dpa photographer noted that Thunberg was picked up by three police officers and dropped after a good 50 meters to perform an ID check. Around 60 to 70 activists had already sat down near the edge of the demolition for a protest action.

A police spokeswoman confirmed that Thunberg had been detained to determine personal details. Once the identities of all involved were established, the group would be driven out of the danger area by bus and then released.

Lützerath was also isolated. According to the police, people had already left a demonstration and headed towards the open pit mine and Lützerath. This led to a confrontation with the police.

Protests outside the Ministry of the Interior in Düsseldorf

Before that, several other protests took place in the state. Climate activists from the Extinction Rebellion group joined the NRW Interior Ministry in Düsseldorf. About a dozen people, including a mother and son, were involved in the action, police and interior ministry spokesmen said. They protested the clearing of the lignite mining settlement and demanded the resignation of NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) because of the police operation there. Activists also complained about police violence and criminalization during last week’s eviction.

After some time, the emergency services ended the action: some protesters left voluntarily, others were taken away. The activists, who had trapped themselves in the windows, were freed by the police. Meanwhile, around 150 protesters gathered at the state parliament in Düsseldorf, who then marched in front of the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs. They also protested the demolition of Lützerath.

Morning traffic stops in Cologne

A state-of-the-art group brought Cologne’s morning traffic to a standstill with a blocking action. During the lockdown, climate activists huddled together on a street and held up a banner referencing the Last Generation group. Yellow crosses could also be seen during the protest action – the symbols of protest against the demolition of Lützerath. Six people were detained by the police. State security got involved. The Last Generation group tweeted a photo of Cologne and explained: “Coal under #Lützerath has to stay in the ground!”

Meanwhile, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was still in the region. On Tuesday, she surprisingly took part in a climate protection demonstration that started in Keyenberg, near Lützerath, as a photographer reported. A spokesman for Thunberg said of the request that she would “participate in various activities”. Thunberg has appeared repeatedly in and around Lützerath in recent days. Among other things, she attended a rally on Saturday.

Call to Action Day

Police forces prepared for several spontaneous and decentralized actions on Tuesday. The “Lützerath Unräumbar” action alliance, which also includes Fridays For Future and Last Generation groups, has called for a joint day of action.

At a rally last Saturday, there were clashes between police and protesters as participants ran towards Lützerath. The lignite mine has a sharp edge, staying there is dangerous and prohibited. Lützerath is also sealed. The village has been cleared by the police in recent days and is about to be excavated.

(APA/dpa)