After the village of Lützerath was cleared, the energy company RWE announced that it would take civil action against the demonstrators.

"Of course, all disrupters must expect a claim for damages," said group spokesman Guido Steffen of the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" on Saturday.

However, it is not yet possible to quantify how high these could be.

There is still no final damage assessment in connection with the evacuation.

Lützerath, which belongs to Erkelenz near Düsseldorf and Cologne, was evacuated in a day-long large-scale police operation against the resistance of hundreds of climate activists.

RWE wants to mine lignite there.

According to the energy company, there was considerable property damage, including to the group's vehicles and systems.

In addition, several wells and switchgear were destroyed.

Possible disciplinary proceedings against the mayor of Erkelenz

Meanwhile, the mayor of Erkelenz, Stephan Muckel, may face disciplinary proceedings.

The CDU politician had defied the instruction to issue a ban on staying in and entering the area before the eviction.

The spokeswoman for the district of Heinsberg, Jennifer Grünter, said on Friday the German Press Agency in Düsseldorf that no decision had yet been made about the possible initiation of disciplinary proceedings.

The state secretary of the North Rhine-Westphalian municipal ministry, Daniel Sieveke, had previously explained to the state parliament's expert committee that the district of Heinsberg, as the direct supervisory authority, was initially responsible for the mayor.

In principle, there is definitely a facet of service law in such cases, said the CDU politician.

The mayor did not receive the instruction as the head of his community, which has been opposed to opencast lignite mining for many years, but as a state body.

As such, a chief administrative officer "has no authority to raise local authority objections or seek legal redress," the Secretary of State explained.

A misdemeanor occurs when an officer has culpably breached his or her duties.

When asked by dpa, Grünter said that it was still being checked whether that was the case in this case.

The topic was put on the agenda of the state parliament committee at the request of the FDP opposition.

CDU MP Heinrich Frieling expressed his astonishment at "how keen the FDP is to initiate disciplinary proceedings against a mayor".

The Heinsberg district administrator Stephan Pusch (CDU), who ultimately issued the right of residence and entry for the Lützerath area himself, had not expressed any criticism of the mayor of Erkelenz, argued the CDU MP Ralf Nolten.

"Where is the overriding interest now?" The FDP MP Dirk Wedel, on the other hand, insisted on legal clarification.

Lützerath, which belongs to Erkelenz west of Cologne, was evacuated in a day-long large-scale police operation against the resistance of hundreds of climate activists.

The energy company RWE wants to mine lignite there.