Hundreds of activists break into coal mines in eastern Germany

Hundreds of activists broke into severalcoal mines in eastern Germany on Saturday to call for an immediateend to coal use, according to organizers and the energy firm Leag.Protesters ran into the Jaenschwalde and Welzow-Sued open-cast miningsites in the eastern state of Brandenburg, as well as the UnitedSchleenhain lignite mining area in the neighbouring state of Saxony. The Ende Gelaende group organized the action to protest thegovernment's climate policies. The German government aims to phaseout the use of coal by 2038, which activists say is too long.Scuffles broke out at the sites between police and activists. InJaenschwalde, three officers were slightly injured, according to apolice spokesman. At the mine in Saxony, protesters violently brokethrough a police barricade with blows and kicks, despite statementsby Ende Gelaende that there would be no violence against people.The protest group estimated that 2,000 people in total had brokeninto the three sites, while police spoke of several hundred.Coal supporters held a morning vigil in Jaenschwalde to call for thepreservation of the mines.It was unclear whether protesters would be forced off the sites.Police were being instructed to not put themselves in danger, whichis why they did not chase the activists after they stormed the mines.