Police start clearing German village condemned for coal mine

Protesters clash with police officers next to the Garzweiler lignite opencast mine at the Luetzerath village near Erkelenz, Germany (Michael Probst/AP

Police in riot gear began evicting climate activists on Wednesday from a condemned village in western Germany that is due to be demolished for the expansion of a coal mine.

Some stones and fireworks were thrown as officers entered the tiny hamlet of Luetzerath, which has become a flashpoint of debate over the country’s climate efforts, on Wednesday morning.