WORLD NEWS
Why did climate activist Greta Thunberg get arrested in Germany?
The Swedish climate activist was taken in by German police at a demonstration against German coal mining expansion projects.
She became famous for her staunch protests against climate change but 20-year old Greta Thunberg has wound up being hauled away by German police during a protest in the abandoned German village of Lützerath.
“Germany is one of the biggest polluters in the world and needs to be held accountable,” she said to crowds protesting over the weekend. Some estimates put the total present at 35,000 people though police dispute this figure.
Thunberg and the other protestors were fighting back against the planned demolition of the town to expand a lignite mine in the region. It is the dirtiest form of coal in terms of emissions and the expansion would seem to go against the German government aim to stop coal-fired power by 2030.
However it does not seem like she will remain in custody for long.
“There is no reason to hold them for days. It might take hours or they will go immediately,” a spokesperson for regional police in Aachen, North Rhine- Westphalia said.
Why was she arrested?
According to the police the protestors moved towards the mine so law enforcement intervened. Many had already been cleared out by riot police.
“Greta Thunberg was part of a group of activists who rushed towards the ledge. However, she was then stopped and carried by us with this group out of the immediate danger area to establish their identity,” a spokesperson for Aachen police told Reuters, adding one activist had jumped into the mine.