BERLIN, Jan 14 demonstrators water cannons, batons and pepper spray, the portal of the n-tv channel reported.
On Wednesday morning, the security forces began clearing Lutzerat, located in North Rhine-Westphalia. The German energy company RWE plans to start mining coal in the area. According to the resolution, the village should be completely liberated from the people living in it before the end of January. However, mining activists want to save Lutzerath and have taken up residence in houses whose former residents have already moved.
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«Police used water cannons, pepper spray and batons to keep demonstrators out of the cordoned-off village of Lützerath and the edge of the quarry,» the report says.
A police spokesman confirmed that the security forces had to push back the protesters by force. There is no official information about the wounded or detained, as the operation continues.
It is noted that the police quickly disperse the demonstrators. At the same time, two activists still remain in the tunnel on the territory of Lutzerat. According to law enforcement agencies, they are safe, but they refuse to leave the shelter.
In turn, the police of the city of Aachen reported that the protesters managed to cross the fences and approach the edge of the quarry.
Thousands of protesters headed for Lutzerat on Saturday, they were also joined by Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg. According to the organizers, about 35,000 people took part in the action. The police estimated the number at 8-10 thousand people.