ERKELENZ (dpa-AFX) - In a heated atmosphere, police on Tuesday began removing barricades from the access site to the village of Lützerath occupied by climate activists. However, the evacuation of the village itself would not begin on Tuesday, police stressed in loudspeaker announcements at the site.

"The police once again ask you to leave your blockades immediately," police announced over loudspeakers. Otherwise, the blockades would have to be cleared "by means of coercion." In confused formation, several hundred activists had formed human chains and set up a sit-in blockade, with some participants digging themselves about half a meter deep into the ground. "The point is that we are blocking the access to Lützi," one activist told Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

The activists chanted "Get lost!", "Shame on you!", "To the barricades!" and "Climate protection is not a crime!" among other things. The tone toward police was aggressive at times. Most of the activists were masked.

The energy company RWE wants to excavate the coal lying under Lützerath - for this purpose, the hamlet on the territory of the city of Erkelenz is to be demolished. Since this Tuesday, the police have the possibility to evacuate the village due to a general order of the district of Heinsberg. However, the Heinsberg District Administrator Stephan Pusch (CDU) wants to inform in the afternoon first about the eviction and the associated police operation./wa/DP/mis