Thousands of protesters and climate activists have been demonstrating in Germany against the demolition of a village to make way for an opencast coal mine extension. Several stand-offs with police have also been reported as some protesters tried to reach the edge of the mine and the village itself. However, during the clash, an amusing moment was captured on camera as hundreds of North Rhine-Westphalia police officers got stuck in thick mud while trying to remove the protesters from the village.
According to Newsweek, the clip was recorded in Lutzrath, a small village in Western Germany. Police had previously warned people against visiting or protesting in the area due to recent rain, saying that there was a risk of slipping.
Twitter user Max Granger shared the video and wrote, ''Cops defending coal mine get stuck in the mud.'' The 1-minute and 21-second clip shows the cops struggling to free themselves from the thick mud as they kept getting up only to fall again. Several others were seen lying in the deep mud while a protester dressed as a monk was seen pushing an officer to the ground.
Watch the video here:
Shared on January 15, the video has garnered more than a whopping 90 lakh views, close to 21,000 retweets, and 81,000 likes, in addition to a barrage of memes and jokes. One user joked, '' Can someone speed this up and put the benny hill music to it?'' Another said, '' I'm crying I'm laughing so hard...'' A third wrote, '' This is an intersection of so many things I love. Lord of the rings, cops falling down and a puddle of mud.''
According to Express.co.uk, 6,000 demonstrators, including Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg, gathered in western Germany to protest the expansion of the controversial coal mine. Protesters marched the village chanting: "Every village stays" and "You are not alone".
Ms Thunberg told demonstrators, "This is a betrayal of present and future generations... Germany is one of the biggest polluters in the world and needs to be held accountable."
A CNN report says that more than 1,000 police officers are involved in the eviction operation.
