Greta Thunberg comes to Lützerath ++ Habeck defends eviction

Germany

It is the confrontation that has been looming for weeks: the police have started clearing the brown coal village of Lützerath. Climate activists occupied Lützerath for weeks, wanting to prevent lignite mining. But no chance: The police arrived on Wednesday morning with a massive contingent and broke through the first barricades. However, the activists do not give up so easily, there is a risk of escalation.

You can find out what’s happening in Lützerath in our live ticker.

4:10 p.m .: Police get activists out of trees – eviction should rest because of darkness

With lifting platforms and operations specialists, the police got some activists down from the trees and from self-built high seats. According to “Bild”, the police operation should rest after dark, but the area will continue to be guarded.

2.42 p.m .: Greta Thunberg comes to Lützerath

The protest in Lützerath receives prominent support: Greta Thunberg, the most famous climate activist in the world, has announced her presence. The organizers of the resistance announced that the Swede would come to a demonstration in the region on Saturday.

Climate icon Greta Thunberg will travel to the Rhenish lignite mining area at the weekend and demonstrate alongside the activists.Image: AP / Virginia Mayo

2:16 p.m .: Habeck defends the evacuation of Lützerath

The German Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck has defended the evacuation of Lützerath. “It’s the right decision, it’s a good decision for climate protection,” said Habeck in Berlin. According to the Greens politician, the operation of the adjacent Garzweiler opencast mine is what makes the early phase-out of coal in NRW by 2030 possible in the first place.

In addition, five places in the vicinity of Lützerath were saved. “But the empty Lützerath settlement, where no one lives anymore, is the wrong symbol in my view,” said Habeck.

Robert Habeck sees the demolition of Lützerath as necessary.Image: dpa / Kay Nietfeld

1:58 p.m .: outrage at the removal of activists in RWE trucks

Videos are circulating on the internet showing how arrested activists are taken away in RWE vans. The outcry on social media is great. The federal spokesman for the Green Youth, Timon Dzienus, speaks of an “ominous alliance against the climate”. Another user criticizes: “It’s not possible for the executive to cooperate directly with private companies.”

1.40 p.m .: Police clear the first halls in Lützerath and encounter little resistance

The police have cleared the first agricultural halls in Lützerath, which were used by the activists as storage. According to local journalists, one of the cleared halls also contained a communal kitchen for the climate movement. According to “Bild”, the activists do not offer any major resistance.

The activists have entrenched themselves in the halls of the former farmers of Lützerath.Image: IMAGO/Sven Simon

12:56 p.m .: 200 celebrities call for the end of the police action in Lützerath

200 celebrities and the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) have called for an immediate end to the police action in Lützerath and a moratorium on evictions. The protests against the eviction had shown that “continuing in opencast lignite mining is no longer accepted, especially by young people,” said BUND chairman Olaf Bandt.

The BUND defends itself against all attempts to “generally criminalize the legitimate and peaceful protest against the lignite madness”. All sides are required to rely on de-escalation.

In an open letter, more than 200 celebrities have called for an immediate stop to the clearance work. The signatories include the actresses Katja Riemann, Thelma Buabeng, Pheline Roggan, the actors Peter Lohmeyer and Robert Stadlober as well as the bands Sportfreunde Stiller, Deichkind and Revolverheld, the pianist Igor Levit and the influencer Louisa Dellert.

12.13 p.m .: According to the police, the concept of operation in Lützerath has worked so far

The German Police Union (DPolG) reports that the police’s operational concept for clearing the village has worked so far. “The targeted communication has contributed to the de-escalation of the situation,” said Chairman Rainer Wendt on Wednesday afternoon. Experiences from past operations, such as the one in the Hambach Forest in 2018, have shown the police that they have to reckon with considerable resistance and traps set up.

11:58 a.m .: Police check the ground in Lützerath – activists hide in tree houses

After the clashes as the police advanced in the morning, a little calm has returned to Lützerath. According to a journalist from t-online, the police control the streets and open spaces such as meadows. The activists, in turn, keep themselves entrenched in houses and tree houses.

Meanwhile, the police are erecting a kilometer-long fence around the village, marking the entire area that is to be demolished. It seems that the situation has calmed down for the time being, both sides are holding out and the fence is now the priority for the police.

An activist hangs from the ropes between the trees to make it difficult for the police to get access.Image: Moritz Heck

11:22 am: Activists determined to stay – police want to remove children from premises

The Aachen police reported on Twitter that there were children on the site and that they should leave the site immediately. The stay in Lützerath is currently simply too dangerous for them.

A spokeswoman for the “Lützerath Leben” initiative had previously contacted the local media and announced that the activists would continue to hold out. “People are determined to stay, to persevere, to protect the trees and the buildings,” said Mara Sauer. With a view to the eviction, she emphasized: “It will definitely take a long time”.

10.52 a.m .: Activist reports watson of “incredibly much” police violence during eviction

When clearing the village, the police should not be squeamish. An activist from the “Lützerath Leben” initiative reported to watson: “Incredible amounts of violence by the police against the people here in Lützi. That’s really blatant.”

According to the police, the activists are also taking violent action against the eviction. They are said to have thrown fireworks and stones at the officers and also used Molotov cocktails.

The police are said to have used pain grips when removing activists.

10:24 a.m .: Situation in Lützerath calm but tense – activists play music

The situation on the ground seems to be relatively calm at the moment. Officers have entered the activists’ tent and treehouse camp and are awaiting further instructions on the muddy ground.

From there, videos made the rounds showing the entrenched activists playing the guitar. “The police are all over the site, but the mood is still good: there is singing and laughing – and despite the rain, wind and cold, everyone is motivated,” wrote the federal spokesman for the Green Youth, Timon Dzienus on Twitter.

10.01 a.m .: Burning barricades in Lützerath – the police are said to be withdrawing paramedics

According to a journalist from t-online, the emergency services are moving into the village from the north. In doing so, they overcome a barricade set on fire by the activists.

According to left-wing member of the Bundestag Kathrin Vogler, the police have withdrawn the paramedics. Injured activists are now on their own, writes the outraged politician.

9.45 a.m .: Activists brace themselves against eviction with Molotov cocktails

The Aachen police reported that the activists were throwing Molotov cocktails at the emergency services and called on Twitter to stop this immediately. Stones and pyrotechnics were also used. “Behave peacefully and non-violently!” wrote the police.

The activists show pictures of sit-ins and street blockades on Twitter. In addition, some of them have climbed poles to make it difficult for the police to access them.

9.23 a.m .: First clashes between police and activists in Lützerath

It came to the first scuffles, as dpa reporters reported. Sirens and alarm bells had previously been heard in the occupied area. Some activists climbed onto tall monopods and tripods – these are trunks tied together with platforms. They were set up in the past few days to make it as difficult as possible for the police to get to the activists.

Numerous videos are circulating on Twitter that show how massive the police force actually is:

“You can now leave the area here without further consequences for you,” the police said in a loudspeaker announcement.

9.05 a.m .: Police surround Lützerath and start evacuating

The clearing operation for the village of Lützerath in the Rhenish lignite mining area, which is occupied by climate activists, began on Wednesday morning. As the responsible police headquarters Aachen wrote on Twitter, police forces surrounded the place. Aachen’s police chief Dirk Weinspach told the Berlin-Brandenburg broadcaster radioeins that the preparations for the evacuation had been completed on Tuesday and that the necessary logistics had been set up.