German activists block road to village set to be cleared for mining

German climate activists positioned themselves on Monday behind a burning barricade to stop construction workers reaching a village earmarked for demolition, reported dpa.

Police told the activists that they would be clearing the access road to the village of Lützerath on Monday. The area is set to be used for coal mining.

"The police announced today that they will clear barricades that we have set up to protect the village," said Julia Riedel, spokesperson for the "Lützerath lebt" (Lützerath lives) group.

An activist from the Last Generation alliance stuck his left hand to the access road, in a technique familiar from the group's other protests.

A police spokesperson said that the eviction of Lützerath was not planned for Monday.

If necessary, however, he said access roads would have to be cleared so that the energy company RWE could get through with its construction machinery.

According to RWE, three rural roads near Lützerath were permanently closed on Monday.

The area around Lützerath in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate is to be mined for coal.

The activists oppose the mining and burning of the coal. However, the land and houses belong to the energy company RWE.

RWE said that the use of Lützerath this winter was necessary to ensure a secure supply for the power plants in the midst of the energy crisis.