The protesters found themselves in the village of Lützerath, in North Rhine-Westphalia, abandoned by its inhabitants, expropriated, but where environmental activists have already been living for several months, including in makeshift camps and in trees. surrounding.
Local police spoke of "2,000 people" at the site, organizers of "several thousand" demonstrators.
This weekend's mobilization comes as an evacuation by the police of this area seems to be looming for next week, in order to allow the German energy group RWE, owner of the premises, to destroy what remains of the village and start construction work. excavation to enlarge the lignite mine.
Environmentalists demonstrate to denounce the planned extension of an open-pit coal mine, which has become the symbol of opposition to fossil fuels, on January 8, 2023 in Lützerath (western Germany) © INA FASSBENDER / AFP
RWE obtained permission as part of a compromise with the German government.
The group has agreed to put an end to coal mining to produce electricity in this Rhine region in 2030, eight years earlier than originally planned.
But in the meantime, he can enlarge the Garzweiler mine and destroy the village of Lützerath for it.
Other surrounding villages will be spared.
Environmentalists demonstrate on the site of a lignite mine to denounce its planned extension, on January 8, 2023 in Lützerath (western Germany) © INA FASSBENDER / AFP
The energy company and the authorities believe that they need this coal today, in a transitional phase, to supply power plants and cover the country's needs in the context of the Russian war in Ukraine, which has led to an outbreak prices and a halt in supplies from Russia.
The protesters argue that the intensification of coal mining in Germany goes against its targets for reducing CO2 emissions, and which will therefore be exceeded.
They were already in 2022.
Police officers on duty at the site of a coal mine during a demonstration by environmentalists on January 8, 2023 in Lützerath (western Germany) © INA FASSBENDER / AFP
They also believe that RWE could extract additional coal elsewhere and does not need to destroy a village for this.
According to the weekly Der Spiegel, the regional authorities intend to deploy several hundred police officers to the site next week, with a view to a possible evacuation of the area.
© 2023 AFP