Following a protest against the extension of a coal mine in western Germany, the Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg She was detained today for a few hours along with other protesters, according to the German Police.
Police sources stated that the group of protesters, including Thunberg, was arrested for running to the edge of an open well. “They separated from the demonstration,” they said.
Images broadcast on the networks showed the activist being evacuated by security forces near the town of Lützerath, in the west of the country, the AFP news agency reported.
The Police specified that they were identifying the delayed persons and that they would decide later what measures to take, but added that the activists were not formally detained. Hours later, Thunberg was released, once her identity was verified.
Thunberg has been in Germany for a few days to support protesters in the abandoned town of Lützerath who oppose the expansion of an open-cast coal mine, the largest in Europe.
Last Saturday, a protest against the extension of the mine brought together more than 15,000 people, according to the Police, and some 35,000 people, according to the organizers. The demonstration led to clashes that left dozens injured, and activists accused the Police of having exercised “pure violence.”
In Lützerath the few remaining buildings in the settlement, now owned by the energy company RWE and located west of Cologne, are currently being demolished so that the company can excavate the lignite underneath.
“It is a shame that the German government makes agreements and compromises with companies like RWE,” the German energy group, Thunberg declared from a rostrum.
The Executive considers its extension necessary to guarantee the country’s energy security after the interruption of the Russian gas supply. Opponents of the plan reject this argument, saying that current lignite reserves are sufficient.
