Greta Thunberg released after brief detention in Germany over coal village protests

Berlin: Climate Change activist Greta Thunberg who was detained along with a group of activists on Tuesday during protests against the demolition of the coal village of Luetzerath, about 380 miles southwest of German capital Berlin has been released after an identity check, according to police officials.

“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 said, speaking about the whole group of demonstrators.

Images showed Thunberg being picked up by police officers wearing helmets and then walked to a waiting bus.

Those detained had “broken away from the demonstration” and ran towards the edge of an open pit, police said.

Thunberg was detained while protesting at the opencast coal mine of Garzweiler 2, some 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) from Luetzerath.

Thunberg, who joined the protesters on Friday, was seen sitting alone in a large police bus after having been detained, a Reuters witness said.

Thunberg, along with thousands of other activists are taking part in weekend protests against razing of a German village that would be done to expand the Garzweiler lignite coal mine which is owned by European energy giant RWE. Following the eviction of villagers, the energy giant plants to build 1.5 kilometres of fence around the perimeters of the village, sealing all the structures off, before they are ultimately demolished.