The German police reportedly removed Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg from a climate strike on Sunday.
The goal of the strike was reportedly to protest the destruction of a German village, Luetzerath, in favor of the expansion of a coal mine. Thunberg initially joined the climate strike on Saturday to denounce the clearance of the village by RWE, a German energy company, Fox News reported. Thunberg reportedly refused to leave the protest after two policemen asked her to do so, according to Bild.
The soil in Luetzerath reportedly contains significant amounts of lignite coal, which, when burned can lead to acid rain if not treated, according to Fortune. (RELATED: ‘Very Dangerous’: Greta Thunberg Slams Biden Over Climate Record)
German police protect bucket-wheel-excavator from climate activists in the former village of Lützerath. (Photograph Source: @marius_mich) pic.twitter.com/QdsFsbNStc
— Nathaniel St. Clair (@NatStClair) January 5, 2023
Between 20 and 40 activists were still protesting by late Friday, with 470 people leaving after being pressured by the police, a spokeswoman for the protests said.
Despite the protests, demolition of empty buildings has slowly proceeded. Trees have also been removed, France 24 reports. The village remains an icon of resistance against fossil fuels, according to France 24. The rallying call of the demonstrators is “Against the evacuation — for an end to coal and climate justice,” the outlet noted.