The last two climate activists sneaked into a self-made tunnel to prevent a coal mine extension in western Germany from leaving their hideout on Monday, marking the end of a police operation to clear the site.
About 300 activists have occupied Luetzerath, west of Cologne, to protest the expansion of the Garzweiler open-pit coal mine that will cover the settlement.
The hamlet – abandoned by residents over the years – has become a symbol of resistance to fossil fuels.
Police launched an operation on Wednesday to clear the protest camp, making progress faster than expected, and by Sunday all had cleared the site.
The end of the operation despite a large demonstration held on Saturday, attended by the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Police said 15,000 people turned up, but organizers, who attended 35,000, accused them of “violence” during Saturday’s protest, in which police and protesters were injured.
Energy giant RWE has permission for mine expansion under a compromise agreement signed with the federal government, led by Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The extension is considered necessary to secure Germany’s future energy supply, a justification rejected by activists, who argue coal must stay in the ground to meet climate goals.
“It is necessary and of course it is a sin in terms of climate policy and of course we must try to make this sin as short as possible and not continuously prolonging it,” said Minister of Economy and Green politician Robert Habeck.