The protest against the mining of lignite is concentrated in Lützerath. Activists who want to oppose an eviction live there in squats. Environmentalists are coming to a demonstration on Saturday.
Erkelenz (dpa / lnw) – A demonstration for a rapid exit from lignite mining is planned at the Garzweiler opencast mine today. The environmental organization BUND has registered the rally and expects about 2000 participants. Local initiatives support the protest. It takes place on the edge of the opencast mine in the village of Lützerath, a district of the city of Erkelenz. Activists who want to prevent the digging also live there in squats. The motto is: “Protect Lützerath, stop lignite”.
With the rally, the critics of the mining of lignite and its power generation want to push for compliance with the 1.5 degree target. The goal is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial times.
A month ago, the NRW state government agreed with the energy company RWE that Lützerath can be dredged to extract the coal underneath. At the same time, the end of lignite mining was brought forward to 2030 and it was agreed that five villages would be kept in the opencast mine. Land and houses in Lützerath belong to RWE. The hole of the opencast mine is now close to the hamlet.
