Hundreds Protest Near German Coal Mine

Hundreds of green activists broke through police cordons to protest at a giant open-pit coal mine in western Germany on Saturday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2019) Hundreds of green activists broke through police cordons to protest at a giant open-pit coal mine in western Germany on Saturday.

Protesters have "occupied" the Garzweiler mine near Aachen in the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the city police said on Twitter.

Organizers of the rally, Ende Gelaende, estimate over a thousand people have shut down mining operations.

Police have used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowds, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper. Two officers have reportedly been injured.

Police have tweeted that some activists were climbing up the edge of the pit. They warned there was a risk to life as the dirt could crumble down.

There has been growing awareness of climate change in Germany. Last month, the Green party was propelled to a historic second place in the national poll for the European Parliament.