The last environmental activists who protested against the extension of an open-pit mine in Lützerath, a village in western Germany, were dislodged by the police on Monday January 16, noted an AFP journalist.
The two remaining activists had taken refuge for several days in tunnels dug under the village, and emerged on the surface at the end of the morning, according to this source.
This event puts an end to a vast police operation aimed at dislodging the demonstrators from the site, which had been going on since Wednesday, January 11.
These activists were protesting against the extension of an open-pit lignite mine, involving the disappearance of the village of Lützerath, in the Rhine basin, between Düsseldorf and Cologne.
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This place, which has become a symbol of resistance to fossil fuels, had attracted thousands of protesters on Saturday January 14, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
In total, the movement's organizers said 35,000 people had gathered in the village in recent days, while police put the number at 15,000.
German energy security at stake
On Sunday, the police announced that they had succeeded in removing the last 300 militants who occupied the premises, with the exception of these two people, who had taken refuge in the tunnels.
Several demonstrators accused the police of having "
violently
" repressed the rallies which degenerated into clashes during which dozens of police officers and demonstrators were injured.
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The government considers the extension of the mine managed by the giant RWE necessary for Germany's energy security, which must compensate for the interruption of Russian gas deliveries, a compelling reason that opponents contest in the name of the fight against energy fossils.
“
It was necessary.
But of course it is a sin vis-à-vis climate policy, and that we should work to ensure that it lasts as little time as possible
”, defended this Monday Robert Habeck, environmental minister of the Economy.
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