Police press ahead with clearance of condemned German hamlet

LUETZERATH, Germany (AP) — Police are pressing ahead with the clearance of a condemned village in western Germany where activists are vowing to hold out against its demolition to make way for the expansion of a coal mine. Officers resumed their effort on Thursday after working into the night to bring down activists from the roof of an abandoned farm warehouse in Luetzerath and disentangle another person from the remains of a car. The local police chief said that more than 200 activists had already left the site voluntarily. He said the clearance of the hamlet’s warehouses should be concluded on Thursday, then police could tackle tree houses built by the protesters and Luetzerath’s remaining houses.