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Heavy equipment in action in the Dannenröder forest (photo taken on December 7th)
Photo: Nadine Weigel / dpa
Police officers cleared the last remaining camp in the Dannenröder forest from opponents of the expansion of Autobahn 49.
The clearance work has now been completed, the police said on Twitter.
Previously, environmental activists had once again withdrawn into tree houses and other tall structures.
"The last person was safely brought back to the ground from a height by our emergency services," it said.
Now the buildings have to be removed, said a police spokesman.
This means that the clearing work for the construction of the A49 is about to be completed.
The activists announced that they would continue their protest against the expansion of the motorway even after the clearance and the tree felling.
The large-scale operation of the police and the clearing for the new motorway route began on November 10th.
Trees had already been felled in the Herrenwald near Stadtallendorf and in the Maulbacher Wald near Homberg.
In the past few weeks, a police spokesman has now said that several hundred people have been brought safely to the ground from some "lofty heights".
On Wednesday the officials want to draw a conclusion in a press conference.
An outlook for the coming weeks should also be given.
Investigations against activists and police officers
During the operation in November, two activists fell from several meters into the depth.
In the first case, a protester fell from a so-called tripod - a three-legged frame - and was seriously injured.
The public prosecutor in Giessen then launched an investigation against a police officer.
He is said to have cut a rope that secured the woman.
The police officer is said to have not been aware of the function of the rope.
According to the police, emergency services observed the crash from a distance and sent rescue workers.
About a week later, another activist fell from a platform.
According to police, the woman was probably on a wooden pallet that was attached with ropes between several trees about four to six meters high.
The pallet had gotten wrong for an unexplained cause and the woman fell to the floor.
She was taken to a clinic seriously injured.
In addition, the police are investigating an activist on charges of attempted manslaughter.
He is said to have cut the tether of a frame about two weeks ago, which is said to have overturned.
Several police officers were located below the structure at this point in time.
They were able to get to safety and were unharmed.
Environmental and climate protection activists occupied the Dannenröder forest, which is the center of the protests, more than a year ago in order to prevent deforestation and to demonstrate for a climate-friendly traffic turnaround.
Proponents hope that closing the gap on the A49 will result in less traffic in the villages in the region and faster connections.
The autobahn will one day connect Kassel and Giessen directly.
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bbr / dpa / AFP
