Climate activists occupy giant digger at German coal mine

Climate activists are pictured on top of a bucket-wheel digger at the Hambach opencast lignite mine at Gelsdorf, Germany (dpa via AP)

Climate activists have occupied a giant digger at a coal mine in western Germany as part of a protest against the destruction of a nearby village for the expansion of a separate mine.

Energy company RWE told German news agency dpa that four people climbed onto the digger early on Monday and operations at the Hambach lignite mine have been paused.