Greta Thunberg released after being briefly detained by police at German coal mine protest

High-profile climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained by police as she rushed to try and jump into a coal mine during a protest in Germany.

A police spokeswoman said a group of activists were in custody after having "broken away from the demonstration", and run towards the edge of an open pit. Source: Getty / Roberto Pfeil

Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg was detained alongside other activists on Tuesday during protests against the demolition of a village to make way for a coal mine expansion but was released after an identity check, according to police.

Ms Thunberg was held while protesting at the opencast coal mine of Garzweiler 2, some 9 km from the village of Luetzerath, after police warned that the group would be removed by force if they did not move away from the edge of the mine.

The village in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia is being cleared to allow for the expansion of the mine. The mine's owner agreed with the government that it could demolish Luetzerath in exchange for its faster exit from coal and the saving of five villages originally slated for destruction.

Police officers removing Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg away from the edge of the Garzweiler II opencast lignite mine. Source: DPA / Federico Gambarini

Activists have said Germany should not be mining any more lignite, or brown coal, and should focus on expanding renewable energy instead.

Riot police backed by bulldozers removed activists from buildings in the abandoned village last week, with only a few left in trees and an underground tunnel by last weekend, but protesters including Ms Thunberg remained at the site staging a sit-in into Tuesday.

"We are going to use force to bring you to the identity check, so please cooperate," a policeman said to the group, according to Reuters footage.

"Greta Thunberg was part of a group of activists who rushed towards the ledge. However, she was then stopped and carried by us with this group out of the immediate danger area to establish their identity," a spokesperson for Aachen police told Reuters, adding that one activist had jumped into the mine.

Ms Thunberg was carried away by three police officers and held by one arm at a spot away from the edge of the mine and was then escorted back towards police vans.

The Swedish climate activist addressed the around 6,000 protesters who marched towards Luetzerath on Saturday, calling the expansion of the mine a "betrayal of present and future generations."

"Germany is one of the biggest polluters in the world and needs to be held accountable," she said.