Climate activists from the initiative “Lützerath Lebt" were reportedly violently evicted by police during protests against the excavation by the mining company RWE in Lützerath, Germany. RWE trucks were used to remove activists from the site. Protestors also accused the police of excessive violence at a major demonstration outside the village, involving 35,000 participants according to the organizers; paramedics reported several traumatic brain injuries. A study by the German Institute for Economic Research has questioned the need for the costly expansion of the open-pit mine to ensure the country’s energy security, and scientists claim it will lead to high CO2 emissions. RWE said on its website that "[it] regrets that the planned demolition process can only take place under substantial police protection and that opponents of the opencast mine are calling for illegal disruptions and also criminal acts".