The energy company RWE has announced that it will begin “dismantling” the Rhenish lignite town of Lützerath on Wednesday. “As one of the first measures, a fence of more than a mile long will be erected for security reasons,” the group said in the morning. “It marks the company’s own construction site, where the remaining buildings, associated facilities, roads and canals of the former settlement will be dismantled in the coming weeks. Trees and bushes will also be removed.”
Hundreds of police officers have advanced and surrounded the place whether the eviction will begin, the company left open and referred to the police. In turn, she only confirmed that “an eviction can be expected at any time from Wednesday.” A police spokesperson announced further blocking measures of the site. Lützerath could be surrounded by the police during the operation.
Early Wednesday morning, strong emergency services had already been convened around Lützerath, dpa reporters reported. It was raining heavily and continuously, a strong wind was blowing, the ground was soggy.
Climate activists have occupied the abandoned settlement and want to oppose the announced eviction. “All necessary permits and court decisions have been made and all original residents have long since left the site,” emphasizes RWE. “The company regrets that the upcoming decommissioning can only take place under extensive police protection and that opponents of the open-pit mine are calling for illegal disruptive actions and criminal offences.”
“Despite the rain, people are determined”
The coal, which lies below Lützerath, is needed to save gas for power generation in Germany during the energy crisis, the energy company argued. The activists deny this and refer, among other things, to a study by scientists from different universities who have united under the name “CoalExit Research Group”. According to these data, the coal in the current mining area is always enough – even under the conditions of the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
According to police chief Dirk Weinspach van Aken, the upcoming evacuation of the protest village is one of the most challenging operations in recent years. The police receive support from all over Germany. Activists have erected some 25 treehouses, some at great heights.
“Despite the rain, people are determined,” activist Lakshmi said Wednesday morning in Lützerath. “We will continue to use blockade techniques to resist the police.”
Lützerath is a district of the 43,000-inhabitant town of Erkelenz in western North Rhine-Westphalia. The hamlet, in the middle of the fields, is now located directly on the edge of the Garzweiler lignite opencast mine. The coal underneath must be extracted to generate electricity. (SDA)