Activists opposing German mine expansion lose legal bid to stay in village

A court in Germany has rejected a last-ditch attempt by climate activists to stay in an abandoned village which is due to be cleared for the expansion of a coal mine that has become a battleground between the government and environmentalists.

The regional administrative court in Muenster confirmed a lower court decision forbidding the activists from remaining in the hamlet of Luetzerath, west of Cologne.

The court dismissed the activists’ argument that civil disobedience at the site was justified due to the climate crisis.

Utility company RWE wants to extract the coal beneath Luetzerath, arguing that this is necessary to ensure energy security in Germany.

Police have said no clearance will take place until after a town hall event later on Tuesday.

Nearby, a group of about 100 protesters were locked in a stand-off with police. Officers briefly used pepper spray to push back the line of activists, who chanted “We are peaceful, what are you?”.

Some activists were perched on tripods in an attempt to block a key road into the village.