Lützerath eviction: German police drag climate protesters from coal village

Climate activists who have been occupying an abandoned village in western Germany for months are being dragged away by police in riot gear. To stop the adjoining Garzweiler open coal mine from engulfing Lützerath, protesters shut themselves inside.

As the police started to evacuate the camp, several protesters hurled rocks and fireworks at them. In an effort to make the eviction more challenging, protesters climbed into treehouses.

The final resident of the village, which is owned by the energy company RWE, left over a year ago. As police in riot gear invaded the village early on Wednesday to remove the demonstrators, there were bloody altercations.

They pulled a few protesters through the muddy ground, several of whom had scarves covering their faces. The atmosphere was afterwards characterised as being calmer, but numerous demonstrators persisted.

Others have retreated to treehouses or the village rooftops, while others have created human chains. Lützerath is practically about to be engulfed by the enormous open coal mine that is right outside its door. The mine is run by RWE, who also has expansion ambitions. At the edge of the settlement, a massive mechanical digger stands a few metres from the treeline.

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the mine is located, has promised to advance the phase-out of coal to 2030. The country’s goal is 2038.

Police are currently surrounding Lützerath, and one of them told the media this morning that the area would be cleansed.

However, the demonstrators are still adamant about delaying the eviction and the village’s apparent doom for as long as they can.

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