(new: details)

ERKELENZ (dpa-AFX) - The evacuation of the village of Lützerath on the edge of the Rhenish open-cast lignite mine is nearing completion. On Friday, police began clearing the last building. After that, some activists still had to be taken out of tree houses, a police spokesman said. In addition, two people were still in a tunnel.

Aachen police chief Dirk Weinspach climbed a short distance into the tunnel shaft on Friday. Special forces from the fire department and THW would have to take over the rescue of the two people, he said afterwards. "I just think it's terrible what dangers these people are taking on, for themselves." The construction is not safe, he said. However, he said, he does not believe there is any acute danger to the two people at this time. Whether they are chained, he said, he does not know. "Contact officers are currently trying to make contact and speak with the subjects," he said. Their communication with telephone no longer works, they are now trying with radios, he added.

On Thursday, a video of two hooded men posted on the Youtube platform had caused a stir. "Pinky" and "Brain" claim in it to be in the tunnel under Lützerath. "We have evidence that the video is authentic," confirmed the police.

According to police, the night to Friday passed quietly. On Friday morning, activists from the group Extinction Rebellion, among others, showed up in front of RWE's corporate headquarters in Essen. They demanded a stop to the eviction of Lützerath. Three of them chained themselves to a rolling gate, thereby blocking the entrance. Police arrived with several patrol cars after RWE security reported the incident.

Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) showed little understanding for the protests against the demolition of Lützerath. "There are many good reasons to demonstrate for more climate protection, for my sake also against the Greens. But Lützerath is simply the wrong symbol," Habeck told Der Spiegel.

The village is not the symbol for a continuation of the Garzweiler open-cast lignite mine in the Rhineland, but "it is the end of the line," Habeck said. The coal phase-out in the coalfield there is being brought forward by eight years to 2030, which has always been the goal of the climate movement. "We are saving five localities and farms with around 450 residents. Hambach Forest has been secured. The approved mining volume for coal in opencast mining has been halved by the agreement."

But in the meantime, there is rumblings among the Green party base: An open letter against the clearance was signed by more than 2000 Green Party members by Friday morning. Habeck and NRW Economics Minister Mona Neubaur are called upon in the letter to stop the action immediately. The "negotiated deal with the energy company RWE threatens to break with the principles of our party," it says. "And not only that, we are also breaking with the Paris climate agreement, the traffic light coalition agreement and the last trust of the climate justice movement."

Green Youth co-speaker Timon Dzienus warned against alienating the Greens from the climate movement. "Right now, the Greens would need the support of the climate movement," he told the news portal "t-online." "The RWE deal doesn't help at all."

A large rally has been announced for Saturday in Lützerath's neighboring town of Keyenberg. Police expect 6000 to 7000 participants. The well-known climate activist Greta Thunberg from Sweden also wants to come to the event. She wants to support the activists in defending Lützerath, the 20-year-old had written on Twitter. "Join us from 12:00 to protect lives and prioritize people over profits," she appealed.

State Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) told the Bild newspaper that everyone is allowed to demonstrate in North Rhine-Westphalia, "even Ms. Thunberg, who is traveling from afar. I hope she ensures that her fellow demonstrators remain peaceful and abide by the rules."

According to a poll conducted by ZDF's "Politbarometer," a majority of Germans oppose the expansion of lignite mining areas, as currently planned following the clearing of Lützerath. 59 percent of those surveyed were against such an expansion - 33 percent were in favor. Above all, a clear majority (87 percent) of Green voters are against the project. On the other hand, 60 percent of all respondents consider greater use of coal-fired power plants to secure electricity supplies to be the right thing to do. 36 percent are against it./fc/DP/nas