Thousands of workers protest while coal commission meets in lignite mining region

While the coal exit commission meets in Rhenish mining district in the state North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), thousands of coal workers protested for their jobs not far from the symbolic Hambach Forest, which energy company RWE wants to cut down to make way to expand a lignite mine, reports public news programme Tagesschau. More than 30,000 protesters took part in the demonstration, according to the organisers. The police spoke of about 20,000 participants.
In a separate live blog, Rheinische Post writes that NRW state premier Armin Laschet spoke at the coal commission meeting. In a statement to the press afterwards, he said: "I believe the role of the world climate is greater than the question of the Hambach Forest. I have just appealed to the commission to plan a sustainable exit over time and not to cling to symbols.”

Read the Tagesschau article in German here and the RP blog in German here.

Find background in the article Commission watch – Managing Germany’s coal phase-out and the factsheet Germany’s three lignite mining regions.