AreaRead the video transcript expand here
The evacuation of the village of Lützerath is progressing quickly.
Tree houses and monopods are still occupied by activists, and there are still at least two people on the roof of the last house that was cleared.
The police are concerned about a tunnel system under the village, which apparently consists of three corridors.
Two people are there and refuse to leave the tunnel.
SPIEGEL editor Lukas Eberle was there on Thursday.
Lukas Eberle, DER SPIEGEL:
»
It was a square-shaped entrance, about one meter wide, so quite large to get in.
It then apparently continued underground in several corridors.
It wasn't just a hole in the ground that you then laid yourself in.
Rather, it is evidently a branched system of passages below.
«
Where exactly the two people are in it seems unclear at the moment.
The activists had published this video on YouTube.
The police believe it is authentic.
In the video, the two hooded men explain how they could chain themselves to a concrete block in the tunnel wall and show prepared holes.
Activist:
»
There are a few complications you will encounter.
These are, for example, thick concrete doors when they come through the corridor.
And if they're in the chamber here, we've got two big lock-ons here.
And one of them is here, for example, in the middle of the chamber, where the whole weight of the ceiling rests on it.
This means that if they want to open the lock-on, they first have to support the entire ceiling of the chamber, otherwise it is in danger of collapsing.
«
Observers assume that the activists have already created the tunnel system with its supporting structures in the last two years.
And they may have deliberately chosen the entrance near an access road to Lützerath.
Because of the danger of collapse, no heavy clearing vehicles can initially drive onto the site.
Lukas Eberle, DER SPIEGEL:
»
This tunnel poses a great challenge. I believe that the police will proceed with maximum caution.
You really want to avoid getting injured.
I mean it's a life threatening situation.
There are people down there who have been digging, who have been digging.
It can presumably collapse at any time.
Then you would have dead presumably.
In hindsight, one would evaluate the whole operation differently.
A lot of questions would then arise.
This is really a tricky situation, a tricky situation for the police right now.
«
Although the tunnel is delaying the demolition and clearance work, the emergency services assume that this will only last until Saturday.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg is already there.
Fridays For Future, Greenpeace, BUND and Campact have called for a large rally on Saturday.
The organizers expect more than 10,000 participants.
Lukas Eberle, DER SPIEGEL:
"
A lot of people will flock to Lützerath again, it will probably be a symbolic day again.
Until Saturday you want to save yourself with such an action, with such a nesting in the tunnel until then.
But I don't think the evacuation will last much longer.
It is now the turn of the last large building to clear it completely.
Then there are only a few tree houses and this one tunnel with the people inside.
And then Lützerath will probably soon be history.
«