Two people have hidden inside a tunnel delaying the extraction of coal from the energy company RWE
ERKELENZ (GERMANY), 16 Jan. () –
Hours after announcing the total eviction of the mining town of Lützerath, occupied by hundreds of activists who wanted to prevent the demolition of the town for the expansion of an open-cast coal mine, the German Police have rectified announcing that there are still two people hidden in a tunnel
The town of Lützerath, in western Germany and long abandoned by its inhabitants, was still occupied until this Sunday afternoon by a small number of activists opposed to the expansion of coal exploitation in the area by the company energy company RWE, has reported DPA.
After a five-day operation, the agents have almost completely evacuated the town located next to the lignite mine – a type of coal – announcing that there were no activists left to report hours later that there were still two activists in a tunnel.
The two remaining people are still holding out underground, trying to delay the demolition work as long as possible. So far, it is not clear how long it will take to evict them, according to a spokesman for the RWE company.
Company firefighters have taken over the efforts to remove them and are also checking a ventilation device in the well, according to the aforementioned agency.
Meanwhile, the German Police have evicted nearly 300 people from Lützerath after four acts of resistance of massive protests that the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has also attended.
Police and protesters have accused each other of acting violently in the riots on Saturday. The Police have reported 70 injured officers and nine activists were taken by ambulance to hospitals. The conveners assure that there are dozens of injured, some with serious injuries that could even endanger their lives.
Up to twelve demonstrators have been detained and there are 30 damaged official vehicles, eight with blown-out mirrors, graffiti and stones. Up to 32 tires of police vehicles have been punctured.
However, RWE has announced that once the site is fully cleared, it plans to mine coal from the site.
