Thousands protest mine expansion in German town

Thousands of protesters gathered Saturday in a northwest German village slated to disappear because of a coal mine expansion, as the country looks to decrease its reliance on Russian gas.

Organizers said around 3,500 people demonstrated at Lutzerath in the Rhine mining basin, only a few hundred meters from the gigantic Garzweiler open- pit lignite mine, one of the largest in the world.

About 100 activists decided to protest directly at the edge of the mine, which can be “extremely dangerous,” regional police said in a tweet.

The village, like some others, has long been condemned to disappear to allow the mine to expand further.

Germany is planning to abandon coal by 2030, as part of the fight for cleaner energy sources. Since the start of the Russia- Ukraine crisis, however, the energy debate has been revived in the country, which is heavily dependent on Russian hydrocarbons, particularly for gas, which accounts for some 55 percent of its energy imports.

To ensure sufficient electricity production while reducing dependence on Russian imports, the German government gave itself the option in March of “suspending” the closure of certain coal- fired power stations, while standing by the objective of phasing out coal by 2030.

Lutzerath has become the new rallying point of the German environmental movement. Activists have built huts and are preparing for a confrontation with police.

The coal that lies under the ground in these municipalities will be “necessary from 2024” to supply power stations, while other mines in the region are closing, according to the operator, the RWE group.