Greta Thunberg marched together with thousands of demonstrators to protest in Germany against the demolition of a village to make way for an opencast coal mine extension.
«When the government and corporations act like this, destroying the environment … the people step up», she said.
For two years demonstrators have occupied the village in the brown-coal district of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where some built elaborate treehouses, in order to stop the expansion of the nearby lignite mine run by energy firm RWE.
The German government and RWE argue that extra coal is needed to ensure the country’s energy security. However, a study conducted by the German Institute for Economic Research has questioned this, suggesting that other existing coal fields could be used– although RWE’s costs would be higher.
However, after RWE was allowed to proceed with the expansion, reports suggested more than 1,000 police evicted hundreds of demonstrators from the village earlier this week.
After meeting protesters and touring the mine’s crater, Thunberg told reporters «The science is clear: we need to keep the carbon in the ground».
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