Climate demonstration against a coal mine in Lützerath, Germany – Greta Thunberg on site

At noon on Saturday, the demonstration began in Lützerath against the shaft. According to police reports to German media, around 8,000 protesters were expected, but it is believed that there are more.

to me West German Radio It was alleged that the police used pepper spray against the protesters. Pictures from the scene also show clashes between riot police and protesters.

on me Twitter Police warn protesters not to get too close to the mine shaft – especially after it has been raining for the past few days. “Do not put your life or health at risk.” the I write Mostly masked people also tried to reach dangerous areas. They are calling on the protesters to cooperate and not to deal with the police.

activists in the tunnel

Two activists also found themselves in a tunnel they had dug under Lützerath. According to activists, they want to give protesters above ground as long as possible to mobilize, reports say BBC.

Police chief Dirk Weinsbach told the BBC that they had tried to talk to the activists in the tunnel and told them of the dangers. Through Saturday, work continued trying to get the two out of the tunnel.

On Friday, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg shared an Instagram post from Lützerath. She was also a participant in the Saturday protests. She was also one of those who spoke before the gathered protesters.

– We will not give up, she says from the stage.

The city will be evacuated

Protests have been going on for just over two years in western Germany. Thousands of demonstrators and activists occupied the remaining homes, but built huts to get away from the police. The reason for the occupation is that an energy company wants to extract additional brown coal in the area. The conflict made Lützerath a symbol of the German energy debate.

Earlier this week, there were reports that upwards of 2,000 police officers were called to the scene to evacuate the city.

Germany has pledged to phase out coal power by 2030 — eight years faster than the previous target of 2038. Lützerath is therefore expected to be one of the last coal-mining cities, according to reports. BBC.