German police attempting to shut down a protest against the demolition of a condemned German village found themselves stuck in the mud with their crackdown thwarted.
Multiple videos posted online show cops facing off and attacking protesters in muddy areas, but one went viral after police officers found themselves trapped in mud. One protester dressed as a monk taunts the officers and pushes one over.
At press time, the video has been viewed more than 26 million times.
The protest, which has been ongoing through January, has attracted thousands of protesters including Greta Thunberg. According to a release from the police, over 300 protesters have been evicted from the abandoned town. Twelve protesters have been arrested while nine were taken to the hospital. The town is scheduled to be demolished to make way for a coal mine expansion.
Police have been using pepper spray, water cannons, and batons in an attempt to break the protest. While the village's original inhabitants left Lützerath years ago, the village has been occupied by climate protesters for over two years according to Al Jazeera reporter Step Vaessen. The protesters say bulldozing Lützerath to make way for the mine would run counter to Germany's climate goals, while the government and the energy firm behind the coal mine expansion, RWE, says it is essential to secure Germany's energy security.
While it has been reported that rocks and fireworks were thrown at police officers, spokesman Andreas Mueller said that the majority of the protests have been peaceful.