Greta Thunberg detained at German coal protest

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was briefly detained by police at a protest in western Germany. 

Thunberg was protesting, alongside other campaigners, seeking to stop the abandoned village of Lützerath from being demolished for the expansion of a coal mine.

Police say the Swedish activist was not arrested and said she was released after an ID check. 

They also confirmed all of those detained would not be charged. 

Videos posted online show Thunberg being carried away by three officers from the protest. 

She was detained after a group “rushed towards the ledge” of the Garzweiler 2 mine, police said.

Activists say burning coal undermines Germany’s effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Germany has promised to bring forward the phase-out of coal in North Rhine-Westphalia, the state in which the mine lies, to 2030. The national target is 2038. 

The abandoned village is now owned by energy company RWE after residents left, and is expected to be the final one demolished for the lignite mine. RWE has said the coal under the village is needed as early as winter. 

Lingerie is the dirtiest form of coal. 

The government says it needs to expand the mine to keep up with the country’s demand as it deals with the interruption of gas from Russia. 

The protest drew around 35,000 demonstrators on Saturday according to the organisers but police say the number was closer to 15,000. 

Police said they removed all activists from the town over the weekend.