BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The German government has criticized violence by demonstrators during the eviction of the village of Lützerath for lignite mining. Deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann referred to an interview by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) over the weekend in the newspaper "taz," where he said the line in demonstrations runs where violence occurs. "This line was crossed in Lützerath, and we also expressly condemn that," Hoffmann said in Berlin on Monday.

Activists had accused the police of excesses of violence at the large demonstration on Saturday. A "high double-digit to triple-digit number" of participants had been injured, a spokeswoman for the demonstrators' ambulance service said Sunday. Among them, she said, were many seriously injured and some with life-threatening injuries. According to police, nine activists were taken to hospital by ambulance. According to the report, more than 70 police officers suffered injuries at the site since the eviction operation began. However, a police spokesman had said on Sunday that the injuries were only partly due to violence by protesters.

"On the part of the police, applicable law was enforced in Lützerath," Hoffmann said. This must be accepted, and by a large part of the peacefully demonstrating assembly participants this was also accepted, he said. "But just unfortunately not by all." This had led to the clashes that the police had actually wanted to avoid. The operation must now be reviewed, including the proportionality of the police action. This had already been announced by NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU).

Hoffmann thanked the police officers who were on duty around Lützerath. It had not been an easy operation, preparations and execution had been enormously challenging.

Addressing the activists, Hoffmann said, "This federal government has understood that we have to do everything for the success of the energy transition." However, he added, the path to climate neutrality in 2045 must also be feasible. By then, Germany does not want to emit more greenhouse gases than can also be recaptured. "We cannot leave fossil energies behind overnight," Hoffmann said./hrz/DP/stk