CNN
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Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was released by German police on Tuesday night after being detained earlier in the day in protests against the expansion of a coal mine in the western village of Lützerath, police said Wednesday. confirmed with CNN.
“Thunberg was only temporarily detained. Once her identity was confirmed, she was free to go out,” said Max Wilmes, police spokesman for the city of Aachen. told CNN.
“Police expedited the background check process because her name was recognized,” Wilms said. He then said he was waiting for other protesters to be released.
Thunberg resumed his campaign on Wednesday, tweeting that “climate protection is not a crime.”
“Yesterday I was part of a group peacefully protesting the expansion of German coal mines,” the activist said, adding, “We were deceived by the police and detained, but were released later that night. ‘ added.
Thunberg was part of a large group of protesters who broke through police fences and entered a coal pit that authorities were unable to fully secure, said police spokesman Christoph Huls. told CNN on Tuesday. He said it was the second time Mr Thunberg had been detained at the location.
German police have expelled hundreds of activists from Lützerath since last Wednesday. Some people have been at the site for more than two years, and by 2017, mostly displaced former residents were forced to leave to make way for lignite mines, according to an earlier CNN report. occupied by abandoned houses after being destroyed.
In 2022, the German government signed a contract with the mine’s owner, the energy company RWE, to allow an expansion to Lützerath in exchange for ending coal use by 2030 instead of 2038.
Once the eviction is complete, RWE will: 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) perimeter fence Block village buildings, streets and sewers before they are demolished.
Thunberg tweeted on Friday She said she was in Lützerath to protest the expansion. On Saturday, she joined thousands of people against the destruction of her village.
Addressing activists who took part in the protests, Thunberg said: And as long as there is carbon in the ground, this battle is not over. ”
Huls said he returned to protest “surprisingly” on Sunday, the day Thunberg was first detained, and then again on Tuesday.
Coal mining expansion is important to climate activists. They argue that continuing to burn coal for energy will increase global warming emissions and violate the Paris Agreement’s ambition to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Yes. Lignite is the most polluting coal, and itself the most polluting fossil fuel.
“We need to stop the current destruction of the planet and sacrificing people to benefit short-term economic growth and corporate greed,” Thunberg said.
Clashes between activists and police have continued this month, with photos of the protests showing police in riot gear clearing demonstrators.
Over 1,000 police officers were involved in the eviction operation. Most of the village buildings have now been demolished and replaced with excavators.
RWE and Germany’s Green Party, members of Germany’s ruling coalition, have rejected claims that mining expansion will increase overall emissions, saying the European cap means they can offset excess carbon emissions. increase. However, several climate reports highlight the need to accelerate the transition from clean energy and fossil fuels. Recent research also suggests that Germany may not need additional coal.Ann August report Coal Transitions, an international research platform, has found that even if coal-fired power plants run at very high capacity by the end of this decade, they will still be able to use more coal than they need from existing supplies.
