Radical leftists have declared an “autonomous zone” in the vacated German village of Lützerath. This is in the western German state of North Rhine Westphalia.
They are using violence to attempt to hamper activity at the Tagebau Garzweiler lignite mine. The German power company RWE is currently expanding this mine.
Germany has been phasing out and shutting down its nuclear power reactors. The final three German nuclear reactors were scheduled to be shut down by the end of 2022. Because of economic warfare with Russia, the final shutdown was delayed.
Coal mining was also in the process of being drawn down. The government has set a goal of ending the use of coal by 2030. However, because of economic warfare against Russia, Germany has reversed course. There is now a “short-term” surge in lignite mining to help fill the gap caused by the loss of nuclear power and Russian natural gas.
Lützerath is surrounded by tagebau or open-cast lignite mines, and most residents have long since vacated. Many homes around these mines are boarded up. The German power company RWE has been relocating residents of the village of Lützerath since 2005.
The town was supposed to have no residents left by the end of 2022. However, Eckardt Heukamp, a farmer, has refused to leave his land and filed lawsuits. There are also militants who have established squatter camps inside of some of the homes.
On January 10th, the local court in Heinsberg ruled that the people in the village can be evicted. Hundreds of more “climate militants” flooded into the area to join the squatter camps. There have been numerous acts of vandalism and arson, as well as battles with the police. The militants are using rocks and Molotov cocktails.
Ironically, the same people waging violent action are the same who demanded the phasing out of nuclear power. Many are probably also the same people who insisted that Germany stop buying natural gas from Russia to support Ukraine.
Many of the rioters are also using common Antifa slogans in English. It seems they are using English to perform for a global audience. Some of the occupiers are also accused of bring small children to use as human shields.
In the city of Leipzig, a world-wide hotbed of Antifa extremism, the office of the Green Party was attacked. The Green party supported expanding the mine and it is believed that the attack was carried out in support of Lützerath squatters.
The open-cast mines in this area will allegedly be transformed into scenic lakes once mining is over.
