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Climate activists vow to defend village at risk from coal mine expansion
Climate activists have pledged to defend a tiny village in western Germany from being bulldozed for the expansion of a nearby coal mine that has become a battleground between the government and environmental campaigners.
Hundreds of people are expected to take part in protest training and a subsequent demonstration in the hamlet of Luetzerath, which lies west of Cologne next to the vast Garzweiler coal mine.
The open-cast mine, which provides a large share of the lignite – a soft, brownish coal – burned at nearby power plants, is scheduled to close by 2030 under a deal agreed last year between the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia and utility company RWE.
The company says it needs the coal to ensure Germany’s energy security, which has come under strain following the cut in gas supplies from Russia since the invasion of Ukraine.
But environmental groups have condemned the agreement, saying it will still result in hundreds of millions of tons of coal being extracted and burned.
They argue this will release vast amounts of greenhouse gas and make it impossible for Germany to meet its commitments under the 2015 Paris climate accord.
Prominent campaigners have called on supporters to defend the village from destruction, citing the impact that climate change is already having on Germany and beyond.
German news agency dpa reported that some activists have erected barricades and other defensive measures to prevent Luetzerath being razed.
Last week, protesters briefly clashed with police at the site.
Police have said no clearance will take place before January 10.
German activists vow to resist
plans for coal mine expansion
Environmentalist groups announce massive protests to block expansion of open-air coal mine in northwestern Germany
BERLIN
German environmentalist groups announced on Sunday that they will resist plans to expand an open-air coal mine in the northwestern village of Lutzerath.
"Who attacks Lutzerath, attacks our future,” environmentalist groups said in a joint statement, vowing to block preparations for the demolition of the village.
Their spokesperson Luka Scott slammed the German government for failing to live up to its commitments to fight climate change.
“Instead of finally phasing out coal immediately, Lutzerath is to be destructed. This will set off a new climate bomb - with catastrophic consequences,” she said.
Soraya Kutterer, a spokesperson for the Extinction Rebellion group, said the German government is paying more attention to the profit interests of the large energy corporations.
“Together we fight for the preservation of Lutzerath, the preservation of our livelihoods and against the lobbying influence of the fossil industry,” she said.
The German energy giant RWE is planning to demolish the village of Lutzerath, as part of a plan to expand the Garzweiler coal mine’s extraction area, to mine 280 million tons of lignite between 2023 and 2030.
January 08, 2023
Associated Press
BERLIN —
Climate activists pledged Sunday to defend a tiny village in western Germany from being bulldozed for the expansion of a nearby coal mine that has become a battleground between the government and environmental campaigners.
Hundreds of people from across Germany gathered for protest training and a subsequent demonstration in the hamlet of Luetzerath, which lies west of Cologne next to the vast Garzweiler coal mine.
The open-cast mine, which provides a large share of the lignite — a soft, brownish coal — burned at nearby power plants, is scheduled to close by 2030 under a deal agreed last year between the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia and utility company RWE.
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Climate Activists Protest as German Village to Make Way for Coal Mine
The company says it needs the coal to ensure Germany's energy security, which has come under strain following the cut in gas supplies from Russia since the invasion of Ukraine.
But environmental groups have blasted the agreement, saying it will still result in hundreds of millions of tons of coal being extracted and burned. They argue that this would release vast amounts of greenhouse gas and make it impossible for Germany to meet its commitments under the 2015 Paris climate accord.
“[We] will fight for every tree, for every house, for every meter in this village,” said Luka Scott, a spokesperson for the alliance of groups organizing protests. “Because whoever attacks Luetzerath, attacks our future.”
Prominent campaigners have rallied support to defend the village from destruction, citing the impact that climate change is already having on Germany and beyond.
German news agency dpa reported that some activists have erected barricades and other defensive measures to prevent Luetzerath from being razed. Last week, protesters briefly clashed with police at the site.
The village and surrounding areas belong to RWE and the last farmer residing there sold his property to the company in 2022 after losing a court case against his eviction. Since then, only a handful of activists have remained, some living in self-built tree houses or caravans.
Police have said no clearance will take place before Jan. 10.
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