Thousands of climate protection activists are not interested in what Greta Thunberg has to say this Saturday. The head of the demonstration march for the preservation of the lignite village of Lützerath has just reached the rally area within sight of the threatened village, when larger and larger parts of the protest march turn over dirt roads in the direction of the demolition edge.
Young people, people with crucifixes, masked people, even two wheelchairs are being pushed through the sodden, muddy field. The crowd is heterogeneous – and clearly superior to the police. The two groups confront each other briefly, then the violence begins.
Three hours earlier, there were already indications that this demonstration at the Garzweiler II opencast mine would be larger than many observers had expected. Despite the constant rain, storm and cold, coal opponents from all over Germany are on their way.
The trains to Erkelenz are overcrowded, hundreds of buses with activists from Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Dresden and other cities are parked near Keyenberg, where the protest march begins.
If Lützerath falls, the German climate targets will also fall.
Climate activist from Berlin
More and more people are flocking to the small village on foot, which was saved from being demolished as part of an agreement between the federal government and the energy company RWE. But the demonstrators want to prevent the empty hamlet of Lützerath and the around 280 million tons of lignite underneath from being excavated.
“If Lützerath falls, the German climate goals will also fall,” says an activist who traveled by bus from Berlin. The biology student is at such a large demonstration for the first time. They started at midnight to be there in Lützerath. “We want to set an example while we still can,” she says.
Many have mobilized the pictures of the clearing of the tree houses and buildings in the past few days, others especially want to catch a glimpse of the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. She also reached the place on foot, alongside Luisa Neubauer, who had previously made it clear once again that Lützerath was more than a symbol, as Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) had said.
“It’s not just about a village, but about 280 million tons of coal underneath it. If they get into the atmosphere, they endanger livelihoods worldwide,” she told the Tagesspiegel. Shortly after 12 p.m., the sea of people with flags, posters, banners and drums slowly begins to move.
Who betrayed us – Social Democrats; Who was there – the Green Party.
reputation at the demonstration
“All villages remain”, “Lützi is alive” and “Who betrayed us – Social Democrats; Who was there – the Green Party,” chanted thousands as they marched through the town center. At first everything remains peaceful.
But when the bucket-wheel excavator from RWE and the tree houses of Lützerath come into view in the distance, the crowd splits. A large part, several thousand people, trudge across the fields towards the edge. A police cavalry unit is supposed to protect them, but there are far too many people.
The police lost control for a short time
A horse panics, breaks out and throws its rider off. More and more people are pushing towards Lützerath along the edge of the cliff. “We are more,” they call. Human chains are formed, the demonstrators face a police line on a field several hundred meters long.
When the demonstrators start running in the direction of the police, the emergency services also rush forward. The police push back the demonstrators with kicks and batons, who defend themselves with pyrotechnics and throwing mud. There are confusing scenes, it goes back and forth several times. A video is circulating online showing Greta Thunberg being pushed by the police surrounded by other activists.
The police seem surprised and are overwhelmingly outnumbered. She loses control for a moment, and a crowd of masked activists manages to break through with almost no effort. Thousands of people run towards the fence that RWE put up around Lützerath a few days ago, with great cheering.
Startled deer and rabbits flee. They are cheered on from the occupied village, from where firework rockets are fired. An activist standing on a log can already be seen from the field.
But the demonstrators did not get any further that day. The police protect the double fence with a number of hundreds, repeatedly threatening to use water cannons and immediate coercion. Nevertheless, there are always clashes in which there are injuries on both sides.
At least one injured activist has to be picked up by a helicopter. Initially, neither the police nor activists provided exact numbers of injuries, but there are likely to be dozens. Scene by scene, the field, which has turned into a deep mud pit, resembles a battle zone.
After a few hours you can feel the exhaustion on both sides. More and more activists are making their way back through the mud. A hard core tries to get past the police until dark. Water cannons and pepper spray are used.
There are numerous arrests. A few hundred meters away, music is playing on the stage where Greta Thunberg gave her speech a few hours ago. Nothing was heard of the bloody clashes here. A band plays “Power to the People” by John Lennon.
The contrasts between the two protest groups could hardly be greater. They did not achieve their common goal of keeping the coal in the ground under Lützerath. On the other hand, they succeeded in giving a powerful sign.
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