Law enforcement officials detained far-Left climate activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday at an anti-energy protest in Germany. The protest comes as the continent deals with an energy crisis sparked by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The 20-year-old and her cohorts were protesting the planned demolition of the coal mining town Lutzerath in western Germany to make way for an expanded coal mining operation.
Thunberg was seen smiling as German police picked her up and carried her away.
German police said Greta Thunberg, along with other protesters, rushed towards the ledge of an open coal mine, before being stopped and "carried out of the immediate danger area."
One activist managed to jump into the mine. pic.twitter.com/Ljy39CSUg7
— DW News (@dwnews) January 17, 2023
This is the second time that Thunberg has been forcibly removed from the multi-day protest.
Thunberg posted about the demonstration on Friday while holding a sign that said, “Keep in in the ground.”
“Climate strike week 230. We are currently in Lützerath, a German village threatened to be demolished for an expansion of a coal mine,” Thunberg said. “People have been resisting for years. Join us here at 12 or a local protest tomorrow to demand that #LützerathBleibt !#ClimateStrike”
Climate strike week 230. We are currently in Lützerath, a German village threatened to be demolished for an expansion of a coal mine. People have been resisting for years. Join us here at 12 or a local protest tomorrow to demand that #LützerathBleibt !#ClimateStrike pic.twitter.com/hGrCK6ZQew
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) January 13, 2023
Germany has expanded its use of coal to the highest levels in more than half a decade after Russia clamped down on natural gas exports to Europe.
Part of the increased demand for energy comes from France where nuclear-reactor outages have caused issues.
Germany has had to extend “the lives of Germany’s nuclear power facilities” despite the country’s desire to move away from the clean energy source.
Thunberg is known for her melodramatic antics in advocating for her leftist positions on the environment.
During a speech several years ago, Thunberg repeatedly condemned adults by dramatically saying, “how dare you!” as she complained about how the world works.
“My message is that we’ll be watching you. This is all wrong, I shouldn’t be up here, I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean,” Thunberg began. “Yet, you all come to us young people for hope, how dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words and yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering, people are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth.”
“You are failing us but the young people are starting to understand your betrayal,” she said. “The eyes of all future generations are upon you and if you choose to fail us I say we will never forgive you. We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now, is where we draw the line the world is waking up and change is coming whether you like it or not.”
