German activists vow to resist plans for coal mine expansion

BERLIN (AA) - German environmentalist groups announced on Sunday that they will resist plans to expand an open-air coal mine in the northwestern village of Lutzerath.

"Who attacks Lutzerath, attacks our future,” environmentalist groups said in a joint statement, vowing to block preparations for the demolition of the village.

Their spokesperson Luka Scott slammed the German government for failing to live up to its commitments to fight climate change.

“Instead of finally phasing out coal immediately, Lutzerath is to be destructed. This will set off a new climate bomb - with catastrophic consequences,” she said.

Soraya Kutterer, a spokesperson for the Extinction Rebellion group, said the German government is paying more attention to the profit interests of the large energy corporations.

“Together we fight for the preservation of Lutzerath, the preservation of our livelihoods and against the lobbying influence of the fossil industry,” she said.

The German energy giant RWE is planning to demolish the village of Lutzerath, as part of a plan to expand the Garzweiler coal mine’s extraction area, to mine 280 million tons of lignite between 2023 and 2030.