A climate protection activist sits on the edge of the open pit mine in front of a banner with the inscription “1.5 degrees Celsius means: Luetzerath remains”. Luetzerath is to be mined to expand the Garzweiler II open pit lignite mine. Henning Kaiser/dpaGerman climate activists holding a large protest in Lützerath aim to delay the expansion of the nearby open-cast coal mine by occupying the abandoned village site by weeks.
“We aim to occupy Lützerath for six weeks,” Dina Hamid of the Lützerath Initiative said on Sunday. She added that there were now 700 activists in the village, which is part of Erkelenz municipality.
Activists are planning to maintain checkpoints and build tree houses and huts.
Barricades are erected to protect the village of Luetzerath from imminent eviction. Luetzerath is to be mined for the expansion of the Garzweiler II open cast lignite mine. Henning Kaiser/dpa
