A small village in northern Germany – Luetzerath – It would have to be completely demolished to allow the expansion of a nearby coal mine. The decision was taken by the German government to deal with the energy crisis that it had to do Increased use of fossil fuels. The arrival of bulldozers in Luetzerath stirred up Protest environmentalists who arrived en masse immediately and has so far prevented the completion of house demolitions. Friday Greta Thunberg also arrived promptly who criticized police behavior and Germany’s decision to increase coal use.

Today – Saturday – can be even more stressful: An event has been scheduled with an expected 8,000 participantsAccording to the organizers. The Berlin government has already had to rectify its energy policy several times in a row. At the end of 2021 It decided to shut down its six nuclear reactors To accelerate the green transition. The Russian attack on Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis forced a reconsideration of the objectives: Three nuclear power plants remained in operation And decides to rely more on Coal to replace Russian gas.

Hence the decision Luetzerath mining site upgradein the coal-mining region of North Rhine-Westphalia, which became a symbol of contrasts Between Europe’s green ambition and the harsh reality imposed by the Ukrainian conflict. The new vein was planted in the open Authorized until 2030 But this forced the demolition of the old buildings ininhabited (long ago cleared).

This is the largest source of carbon dioxide in Europe. These are emissions that affect people all over the world. This means that we are also here for the people who want to make their voices heard when the government does not dare to do so, said Louisa Neubau, the German leader of the Friday in the future and protest leader. To stop the demolition of activists They occupied the houses and climbed some trees. This has also affected other parts of Germany in recent days: activists have been infected The post of Minister of Economy was Robert Habeck in Flensburg metresIn Berlin, sabotage was carried out in the Mitte district.

To lend a hand in the conflict Arrived on Friday in Luetzerath too Greta ThunbergWhich has become a global icon for climate defense battles and the environment. in definition Police violent behavior and absurd decision To revitalize a coal mine. Greta said we want to show how people power, like democracy.

The Battle of Luetzerath became relevant from a distant point They also took a position on Chancellor Olaf SchultzHe told the newspaper that a line had been crossed as protests turned violent. Schulz dismissed the allegations Germany’s climate goals in jeopardy: the accusation is not true. Quite the opposite: We are acting in a way to achieve our climate goals, he said. Perhaps the protest should be directed against the fact of this It takes six years to get wind turbines approved. If we want to achieve the energy transition, we need to install three to four large wind turbines in Germany every day.