At a large demonstration for the preservation of the village of Lützerath, hundreds of participants stood directly on the edge of the Rhenish opencast lignite mine on Saturday.

"I am absolutely horrified at how normal meeting participants allow themselves to be carried away into entering the absolute danger area," said Aachen police chief Dirk Weinspach.

Staying directly on the steep slope of the edge of the opencast mine is already dangerous anyway, but especially so now because the ground has been softened by constant rain.

A police spokesman estimated the total number of demo participants at 8,000 to 10,000.

A spokeswoman on the rally stage said there was a water pipe book near the edge of the open pit.

There is a risk of collapse there.

Therefore, a safety distance must be maintained.

Another spokesman on the rally stage said he found it legitimate if the participants tried to enter the cordoned-off Lützerath.

"Don't let the police stop you.

we are powerful

We are on the side of justice.

We will not let this repressive system stop us.

We stop this mine.

Do whatever you think is right.”

On Saturday morning, the police continued to clear the town of Lützerath, which was occupied by climate protection activists and is to be demolished for lignite mining.

"The work continues," said a police spokesman.

Emergency services climbed trees on which people persevered.

An activist was later brought down.

According to the energy company RWE, preparations are also underway to get activists out of a tunnel.

According to the police, the operation at the tunnel has been handed over.

A police spokesman said it was a "rescue" that was now in the hands of RWE and THW.

"We assume that they are doing well," said Bente Opitz from the "Lützerath Lives" initiative.

The activists would have enough to eat and could stay in the tunnel for several days.

According to "Lützerath is alive", there are still several dozen activists in Lützerath, on roofs and in trees.

The police initially gave no information on the number of remaining activists.

"We're almost through above ground," a spokesman said in the morning.

There are still about 15 "structures" of the activists, including tree houses and shacks, it said.

The emergency services canceled the evacuation of Lützerath again on Friday evening.

According to the police, the night was "quiet".

There have been no incidents.

Activists in tree houses woke each other with shouts early Saturday morning.

Large parts of the site are illuminated with floodlights.

According to the police, since the start of the evacuation on Wednesday, emergency services have brought around 470 activists out of the occupied town.

Of these, 320 people would have left the site voluntarily.

The police also had information on four injured activists.

The spokesman said in the morning that the injuries were caused “as part of acts of resistance”, by sticking and a fall.

In addition, five police officers were injured by pyrotechnics.

Criminal charges were made against 124 people, mainly for breach of the peace and resistance to police officers.