LUZERAT, Germany, Jan 18 (Reuters) – Environmental activist Greta Thunberg quickly resumed her campaign on Wednesday after being briefly detained in Germany during a protest against a coal mine expansion, tweeting that climate protection is not a crime.
“Yesterday I was part of a group peacefully protesting the expansion of a coal mine in Germany. We were heated by the police and then detained, but were released later that evening,” tweeted Thunberg, whose whereabouts are unclear.
“Climate protection is not a crime.”
She was detained with other activists demonstrating against the demolition of the village of Luetzerath to make way for the expansion of an open-pit coal mine owned by RWE ( RWEG.DE ).
Thunberg was carried by three police officers and held by one arm to a place away from the edge of the mine and escorted back to police vans. She was released later that evening.
She described the mine expansion as a betrayal of current and future generations and accused Germany of being one of the world’s biggest polluters.
The protest highlighted growing tensions over Berlin’s climate policy, with environmentalists arguing climate targets are being ignored by a return to dirtier fuels amid an energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Reporting by Stefan Nietzke Writing by Madeline Chambers Editing by Philippa Fletcher
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