Greta Thunberg was arrested by police during a demonstration in Germany.
The 20-year-old environmental activist is participating in protests against the demolition of a village to make way for the expansion of a nearby coal mine.
It is the second time the Swedish activist, who joined Saturday’s protests, has been taken by police in the village this week.
Local police in Aachen said Thunberg was one of a group of protesters who “stormed” to the edge of the open-pit mine, which officials described as “steep and extremely dangerous”, reports Sky.
Police say the activist was not arrested but was taken away and is now being held for identification along with other protesters.
The small hamlet of Lützerath in North Rhine-Westphalia is owned by energy supplier RWE and was cleared before demolition to make room for the expansion of the nearby Garzweiler coal mine.
According to the ministers and RWE, lignite, which activists consider the most harmful to health, should ensure Germany’s energy security in the short term.
Ignite the fight after government withdrawal
The government, which is a tripartite coalition with the country’s Greens, had to change its stance on coal use after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The country has historically been heavily dependent on Russian gas for its energy, but supplies have been curtailed in response to European sanctions.
Environmental activists want Germany to take immediate action on fossil fuels and oppose the expansion of the mine.
They say that clearing the village to make room for the site would result in huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions from the fossil fuels mined.
‘Hundreds hunkered down in abandoned village’
Two years ago, protesters moved into the abandoned homes of former residents.
Ms Thunberg joined protesters on Saturday and delivered an impassioned speech in which she said Germany was “embarrassing itself right now. The science is clear: we need to keep the carbon in the ground,” reports Sky.
Police said it could take weeks to resolve the deadlock over the expansion of coal mines, which activists see as a symbol of Berlin’s failed climate policies amid an energy crisis in Europe’s largest economy.
The regional and national governments reached an agreement with RWE last year that would allow RWE to demolish the abandoned village in exchange for ending coal use by 2030 instead of 2038.
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