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Police officers push an activist with a wheelbarrow off the premises in Lützerath: there are around a hundred reports of physical attacks
Photo: Federico Gambarini / dpa
In connection with the evacuation of Lützerath, the Aachen police have filed a total of 441 criminal charges against climate activists, squatters and demonstrators since the beginning of January.
This was announced by a spokeswoman for the authorities when asked by SPIEGEL.
The number has apparently increased again in the past few days.
The North Rhine-Westphalian Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) spoke of around 200 reports regarding the police operation in Lützerath last week.
During the clearing of the former settlement, which is owned by the energy company RWE and is to be excavated for the lignite opencast mine, there were violent clashes between activists and emergency services.
According to the Aachen police, there were around a hundred reports of physical attacks and acts of resistance against law enforcement officials, as well as around 50 reports of breaches of the peace.
In 15 cases, the activists are accused of bodily harm and dangerous bodily harm.
Arson, insult and theft are among the reported crimes.
RWE is examining civil law steps
Some of the criminal charges were initiated by RWE, the police spokeswoman said.
Accordingly, the company reported those people who had holed up in the houses and farms in Lützerath.
60 ads are based on trespassing, 20 on property damage.
RWE had recently announced that it wanted to take civil action against activists.
According to the Aachen police, the criminal charges would now be processed and then forwarded to the Mönchengladbach public prosecutor's office.
Possible criminal proceedings will deal with the respective question of guilt and the evidence. If this is clear, RWE could then try to assert claims for damages.