ERKELENZ (dpa-AFX) - Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is among a group of protesters who were encircled by police near Lützerath on Tuesday, according to a dpa photographer. Together with about 60 to 70 other people, she was sitting near the edge of the quarry to the Garzweiler open-cast lignite mine. Police officers surrounded the group.

The open pit has a sharp break-off edge; it is dangerous and forbidden to stay there. Lützerath is also cordoned off. The village was evacuated by the police in recent days and is to be dredged. Large resistance had formed against it.

Thunberg had already been seen shortly before on a climate protection demonstration that had started in the neighboring village of Keyenberg. According to police reports, people broke away from this protest march and made their way in the direction of Lützerath and the open pit mine. This led to confrontations with the police./idt/DP/men