"Greta Thunberg briefly arrested at German coal mine protest, later released"

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was briefly detained by German police at a protest over the expansion of a coal mine in the western village of Lützerath.

Police confirmed that Thunberg was released after her identity was established and she waited for other protesters to be released.

Thunberg quickly resumed campaigning and tweeted that “Climate protection is not a crime”

Thunberg was part of a large group of protesters who broke through a police barrier and encroached on a coal pit.

This is the second time Thunberg has been detained at the site.

German police have removed hundreds of activists from Lützerath over the past week.

Activists have been occupying the site for more than two years.

German government reached a deal with energy company RWE, the owner of the mine, in 2022, allowing it to expand into Lützerath in return for ending coal use by 2030.

Once the eviction is complete, RWE plans to build a 1.5-kilometer (0.93-mile) perimeter fence around the village, sealing off its buildings, streets and sewers before they are demolished.

Climate activists argue that burning coal for energy will increase planet-warming emissions and violate the Paris Climate Agreement’s ambition to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.