Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been arrested by the police in the German village of Lützerath. Thunberg was there demonstrating against lignite mining.
Thunberg, 20, was part of a group of 60 to 70 protesters at the Garzweiler opencast mine. The group protested against the expansion of the lignite mine. Because the mine site is not allowed to be entered, the police intervened. According to the police, the protesters put themselves in danger by standing at the edge of the excavation. Thunberg and the others arrested have since been released.
Greta Thunberg carried away from protest by German police https://t.co/ff0BF4D0H4 pic.twitter.com/v1x7K0eUWQ
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 17, 2023
In Germany, Lützerath symbolizes the debate between economy and climate. This is because it is located next to a large area where lignite is extracted. Lignite is bad for the environment but is still widely used as an energy source in Germany.
Because energy company RWE also wants to use the land under Lützerath to extract lignite, the village had to be demolished for this. To prevent this, climate activists occupied the village for more than two years. Last week, the police evacuated the village.
Catch up on more stories here
Follow us on Facebook here
