Greta Thunberg was detained by police during a protest against the demolition of a coal village on Tuesday, January 17. She was seen being guided by authorities in the new photos, which you can see here, via Reuters. The environmental activist, 20, was arrested with other protesters while in Luetzerat. Police told the outlet that they expected to release Greta and other protesters in a matter of hours.
Greta was seen being escorted by cops, while dressed in an all-black outfit. Police in riot gear were seen holding her by the arms and guiding her during the arrest, and she was later seen sitting in the back of a police car, while other protesters were also gathered. The cops were clearing activists from buildings and trees in the village while the demolition crew waited. She had been sitting near the edge of a mine. “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 police spokesperson told Reuters.
Greta had announced that she was joining protesters in the village in an Instagram post on January 13. She shared a photo of herself holding up a sign that read, “Keep it in the ground,” while with other protesters. “Climate strike week 230. We are currently in Lützerath, a German village threatened to be demolished for an expansion of a coal mine. People have been resisting and defending Lützerath for years. Recently the evictions started, but the fighting spirit still persists,” she wrote. Greta has retweeted a few more videos and clips of police clashing with protesters on her Twitter account.
The protesters have been calling for the government to not continue mining coal and to instead focus on renewable resources. Despite her arrest, a police spokesperson said that Greta and other activists are likely to be released shortly. “There is no reason to hold them for days. It might take hours or they will go immediately,” they told Reuters.