Occupied Village
Activists in Lützerath must expect evictions from Wednesday
A police officer observes climate protection activists. sitting on the edge of the mine. The village of Lützerath is to be excavated to expand the Garzweiler II opencast lignite mine.
© Oliver Berg / DPA
According to the police, the evacuation of the village of Lützerath, which is occupied by activists, is imminent: it could start at any time from Wednesday.
According to the Aachen police, the village of Lützerath in the Rhineland, which is occupied by climate activists, is expected to be cleared from Wednesday or on the following days. Police President Dirk Weinspach said on Monday. “Since we will be holding an information event for citizens in Erkelenz tomorrow, they must expect the evacuation to begin the day after tomorrow or the following days,” he said.
According to the decree, evacuation is possible from Tuesday
The background is that the Heinsberg district issued a general decree to clear the village. The general decree prohibits people from staying from December 23, 2022 to February 13, 2023. If this eviction is not followed, the decree provides the basis “for taking evacuation measures from January 10,” it said – theoretically too from Tuesday. According to the chief of police, this is not yet to be expected, but only later.
The energy company RWE wants to tear down Lützerath in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia in order to mine the coal underneath. The land and houses of the village, which is characterized by agriculture, now belong to RWE. However, activists who have announced resistance now live in the remaining premises, whose former residents have moved away. They see no need to dig up and burn the coal. A large police operation is therefore expected.