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Greta Thunberg joined thousands of demonstrators to march in a large-scale protest in Germany against the demolition of a village to make way for an opencast coal mine extension.
Just two protesters – nicknamed Pinky and Brain – remain holed up in a tunnel.
@EnergyAbsurdity @IrinaSlav1 @Cavanha @truth_crude Ok, Who is the monk or druid? #CoalTwitter #Germany #EU #EnergyCrisis – wrong answers only. https://t.co/dO1KxDrKzj
— STUART TURLEY (@STUARTTURLEY16) January 15, 2023
“The science is clear: we need to keep the carbon in the ground,” Thunberg told reporters, after meeting protesters and touring the mine’s crater.
She compared the landscape of the mining area to Mordor, the fictional realm of the evil villain Sauron in JRR Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. “It shows what we are fighting against, what we are trying to prevent.”
Crowds of activists marched on the hamlet of Lützerath in western Germany, waving banners, chanting and accompanied by a brass band, but there were also violent clashes with police.
The German government and RWE argue the extra coal is needed to ensure the country’s energy security. However, a study by the German Institute for Economic Research has questioned this, suggesting other existing coalfields could be used instead – although RWE’s costs would be higher.
After a decision allowing RWE to proceed with the expansion, reports suggested more than 1,000 police in riot gear evicted hundreds of demonstrators from the village earlier this week.
Some protesters threw fireworks, bottles and stones at police as they entered on Wednesday morning. Others complained of undue force and said the scale of the police response, with officers brought in from other areas of Germany and water cannon put on standby, was an unjustified escalation.
Just two protesters – nicknamed Pinky and Brain – remain holed up in a tunnel.
“The science is clear: we need to keep the carbon in the ground,” Thunberg told reporters, after meeting protesters and touring the mine’s crater.
She compared the landscape of the mining area to Mordor, the fictional realm of the evil villain Sauron in JRR Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. “It shows what we are fighting against, what we are trying to prevent.”