Greta Thunberg smiles as German police carry her away during environmental protest over coal mine expansion

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Greta Thunberg carried away by German police while protesting expansion of coal mine

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was one of several protesters carried away by police while protesting the destruction of a German village for the expansion of a coal mine on Tuesday.

A smiling Greta Thunberg was carried away by German police on Tuesday while protesting the destruction of a German village for the expansion of a coal mine, the second time that the 20-year-old Swedish activist was removed during the multi-day environmental demonstration.

Video from the protest near the village of Luetzerath in western Germany shows Thunberg with dozens of activists sitting in the dirt near the mine in protest and chanting as police stand nearby. 

Thunberg was one of several protesters carried away by police after running to the edge of the Garzweiler open pit mine and standing on the brink of the open pit, German news agency dpa reported.

The mine has a sharp break-off edge, according to the news outlet. Police said it was dangerous and people were prohibited from staying there.

GERMAN POLICE SURROUND AND CRACK DOWN ON CAMP OF ANTI-COAL PROTESTERS

Police officers carry Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg away from the edge of the Garzweiler II opencast lignite mine during a protest action by climate activists after the clearance of Luetzerath, Germany, on Tuesday.
(Federico Gambarini/dpa via AP)

Video shows the climate activist only smiled as two police officers carried her away. As Thunberg stands with the officers away from the mine’s edge, another activist walks and asks Thunberg for a selfie before the two share a laugh.

Police officers take Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg away from the edge of the Garzweiler II opencast lignite mine during a protest action by climate activists after the clearance of Luetzerath, Germany, on Tuesday.
(Federico Gambarini/dpa via AP)

Energy company RWE said that one protester was able to enter the mine in a “very reckless” move, according to the news agency.

Police and RWE started evicting protesters from Luetzerath on Jan. 11, removing roadblocks, chopping down treehouses and bulldozing buildings.

GERMAN CLIMATE ACTIVISTS PROTEST THE DEMOLITION OF AN ABANDONED VILLAGE THAT’S SET TO BE TURNED INTO A MINE

Activists have cited the symbolic importance of Luetzerath for years, and thousands of people demonstrated Saturday against the razing of the village by RWE for the expansion of the Garzweiler coal mine.

Police officers have surrounded a group of activists and coal opponents on the edge of the Garzweiler II lignite open pit mine during a protest by climate activists following the clearance of Luetzerath, Germany, on Tuesday.
(Federico Gambarini/dpa via AP)

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Thunberg had joined the protests over the weekend and was previously carried away by police after she failed to comply with their requests to leave the site.

Protests continued Tuesday at several locations in North Rhine-Westphalia. 

Dozens of climate activists glued themselves to a main street in Germany’s western city of Cologne and to a state government building in Duesseldorf. Near Rommerskirchen, a group of about 120 activists also occupied the coal railroad tracks to the Neurath power plant and were carried away when they refused to leave the tracks, DPA reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.