Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was released, after being arrested on Tuesday along with a group of activists during protests against the demolition of the coal town Luetzerath, in Germany, due to the expansion of a mine.
“Climate protection is not a crime”, wrote the environmentalist through social networks after the fact.
He also denounced that the group he was a part of was demonstrating peacefully against the expansion of the coal mine when he was evicted by the German police.
IT MAY INTEREST YOU: Greta Thunberg arrested in Germany during coal mine protest (video)
He added that the police elements “threw the protesters into the water” and later detained them, he accused. However, they were later let go, he detailed on his Twitter account.
Thunberg was arrested while taking part in a protest against the demolition of the town of Luetzerathto which hundreds of people have come for several days to prevent the expansion of an open-cast coal mine of the energy company RWE.
This Tuesday, the Police specified that the environmentalist had not been arrested, but retained for later identification.
Around 70 protesters flocked to the edge of the Garzweiler coal mine. Police responded by first surrounding and then holding back the protesters, including Thunberg, who joined the protests on Saturday.
Last weekend, riot police, supported by bulldozers, evicted the activists from the town’s buildings, leaving only a few in trees and in an underground tunnel. The protesters, including the young Swedish woman, remained in the place carrying out a sit-in until Tuesday.
IT MAY INTEREST YOU: With “The Climate Book” Greta Thunberg seeks to encourage climate change people
Thunberg was apprehended while protesting with other demonstrators at the Garzweiler 2 open pit coal field, about nine kilometers from Luetzerath.near the edge of the mine.
The activist was seen sitting alone in a large police bus after being detained, according to a Reuters witness.
“We are going to use force to take you to identity control, so please cooperate”warned a police officer to the collective, according to the images of the news agency.
Three officers took Thunberg away and held her by the arm at a spot further from the edge of the mine, where she had previously sat with the bus. She was then escorted back to the police vans.
On Saturday, the activist described the expansion of the mine as “betrayal of present and future generations”addressing the nearly 6,000 protesters who marched towards Lutzerath.
“Germany is one of the biggest polluters in the world and has to be held accountable,” he claimed.
With information from Europa Press and Reuters
