On January 15 (local time), environment ‘activist’ Greta Thunberg was removed from a protest site in Germany’s Lützertah by the police. Greta was protesting against the expansion of a coal mine that required the demolition of a village. As per reports, the protesters and police clashed at the protest site, and the police personnel were allegedly attacked. Reportedly, Greta recently said earlier that Germany was “embarrassing itself” by removing the protesters from the site.
Protesters, including local environment ‘activists’ and Greta Thunberg along with Luisa Neubauer, were seen allegedly being pushed by the German police off the protest site. In a tweet shared by political activist Timon Dzienus, Greta and others were allegedly pushed by the police. Timon wrote, “The police violence today in #Lützertah was unbelievable. Here Greta Thunberg, Luisam Neubauer and others are pushed by the police – and they just stand there peacefully. What is that, Aachen Police?!”
As per Politico report, the police had asked Greta to leave the area but she did not follow the instructions after which she was escorted away. Around nine protesters were taken to the hospital and over 70 police officers were reportedly injured during the clash.
Notably, other visuals shared on social media platforms showed how the protesters had attacked the journalists at the scene. In a video shared by journalist and author Oliver Maksan, protesters with the Antifa flag were seen attacking Dutch journalists on the site. As per a report in Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), a Swiss-German newspaper, the protesters called them Nazis before attacking the journalist and accused them of painting the protest in a bad light.
Fireworks were blown aimed at the emergency services repeatedly. The police had to warn them repeatedly not to attack the emergency services. They also warned if the protesters did not step back, the police would use water cannons and other means to clear the site. Later, the police used batons to push back the protesters as they managed to pass through the first police line.
Furthermore, a day before the violent clash between the police and protesters, Greta alleged that police used force against the protesters at the site. However, when the police retaliated and asked for evidence, she failed to provide any. The report suggested that the protesters threw mud at the police cars and tried to overturn police vehicles. Some protesters hit the tyre valves with stones and flattened them.
Violent clashes between the police and the protesters happened earlier as well. As per a January 11 report of The Bureau Investigates, the riot police tried to drag the protesters from the site during a clash between them.
The mine expansion at Lützerath
The mine being expanded is owned by Europe’s largest energy company RWE. Several villages are being demolished to make way for the 35 square KM Garzweriler mine, and Lützerath is among the last to go.
The protests have been going on at the site for over two years to stop the expansion of the coal mine. A petition was filed in the court to stop RWE from expanding the mine, but the court passed the judgment in RWE’s favour. Following the court orders, hundreds of riot gear-equipped police personnel moved to the protest site and cleared the barricades placed by the protesters. The police said it might take several weeks to clear the protest site.
‘Germany is embarrassing itself’
On January 13, Greta said, “Germany is really embarrassing itself right now. The science is clear, we need to keep the carbon in the ground.”
Greta Thunberg had expressed her desire to join the protesters, which she did the next day.