(new: more details and background)

ERKELENZ (dpa-AFX) - Police want to largely complete the evacuation of the Lützerath settlement this Friday. "We want to clear all structures as quickly as possible, if possible today," said a police spokesman on request. One particular imponderable, he said, is the two tunnels that have been discovered. It is unclear, he said, whether their evacuation will also succeed as early as Friday.

Two activists are still holding out in one of the underground tunnels. The entrance to the tunnel was widely cordoned off on Friday morning. In addition to police officers, firefighters were also on site.

On Thursday, a video of two hooded men posted on the Youtube platform had caused a stir. "Pinky" and "Brain" claim in it to be in the tunnel under Lützerath. "We have indications that the video is authentic," a police spokesman said Friday.

The night had been quiet, according to police. On Friday morning, activists from the group Extinction Rebellion, among others, showed up in front of RWE's corporate headquarters in Essen. They demanded a stop to the eviction of Lützerath. According to their statements, several of them chained themselves to the entrance gate. Police arrived with several patrol cars after RWE security reported the incident.

On Thursday, more than 300 people had left Lützerath by the evening, the police had reported. How many squatters are still on the fenced area, the police did not say on Friday initially. According to the estimate of a dpa reporter, it was still several dozen.

While the stone houses are still standing, almost all wooden huts have been razed to the ground. But a wooden structure on stilts is also still standing. On it, activists continue to brave the weather. The continuous rain during the night ended in the morning.

During the night, the climate activists had held out in heavy rain, strong winds and temperatures below ten degrees. Further evacuated by the police was initially not. In the morning, employees of an outside company began to clear away debris and cut down trees on behalf of RWE.

According to the police, the identity of about 70 people was established on Thursday. Criminal charges were filed against six people for resistance to law enforcement officers and damage to property.

Since the start of operations, judges had sent three people to long-term custody, it said. Two of them were released from custody after revealing their personal details.

Eleven police officers were reportedly injured by no fault of their own, and two police officers were unable to continue their duties. Five police officers were injured by external causes, but were able to remain on duty. On the part of the squatter scene, one person was slightly injured.

Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) showed little understanding for the massive protests against the demolition of Lützerath for lignite mining. "There are many good reasons to demonstrate for more climate protection, for all I care, even against the Greens. But Lützerath is simply the wrong symbol," Habeck told Der Spiegel.

The village is not the symbol for a continuation of the Garzweiler open-cast lignite mine in the Rhineland, but "it is the end of the line," Habeck said. The coal phase-out in the coalfield there is being brought forward by eight years to 2030, which has always been the goal of the climate movement.

"We are saving five localities and farms with around 450 residents. Hambach Forest has been secured. The approved mining amount for coal in the open pit has been halved by the agreement."

Aachen's police chief had expressed satisfaction with the progress of the operation on Thursday, saying, "The evacuation of the above-ground structures is largely complete," he stressed on WDR. "We have cleared almost all houses except one. It is the meadow cleared, a large part of the tree houses is cleared. In this respect, not so much remains."/fc/DP/jha