Clashes between environmentalists and police in Germany

A fight broke out between environmental activists and protesters in Lützerath, known as the “brown coal village” in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).

The police began to move towards the center of the town removing the barricades put up by environmental activists who were organizing and living in tree houses outside the town. Hundreds of demonstrators protesting against the RWE energy company, which mines lignite coal in the town of Lützerath, were noted to have declared that they would resist the decision to remove them from the area, erected barricades and dug trenches, chained themselves to trees and they built barracks in the treetops that were difficult to access in order to prevent the police and construction crews.

From time to time, arguments and clashes began to take place between the police and the protesters who did not want to leave their places. Arguing that protecting the environment is not a crime, the protesters criticized the harsh attitude of the police.

It is claimed that the events may escalate when the police, who remove the barricades in the outer regions, enter the town during the day or tomorrow.

In the town of Lützerath, the protesters, who reacted to the energy company that produces lignite coal and wanted to prevent construction equipment from entering the region, announced that they would continue their protests.

The Essen-based energy company RWE, on the other hand, citing the global energy crisis, argued that it is necessary to use the mining sites in Lützerath to safely supply power plants. (AA)