\n<\/p>\n
Thousands of climate activists gathered in Hamm, in western Germany, to protest against gas-fired power plants on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The rally, held under the banner, \u201cFuture instead of gas \u2013 defend the energy transition,\u201d opposed government plans to build new gas-fired power stations and called for an expansion of renewable energy.<\/p>\n
Some 2,700 people joined the rally, police said. The organizers put the number at 5,000.<\/p>\n
The German government has committed to construct new gas-fired power plants to ensure an uninterrupted supply of power during periods of low wind and sunlight, following the decommissioning of coal-fired stations.<\/p>\n
While they are eventually set to use climate-neutral hydrogen as fuel, climate activists have reacted with outrage at the investment in gas-based infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Following the demonstration, the activists positioned themselves to form the shape of a wind turbine on a former mining spoil tip.<\/p>\n
\u201cThousands of people have gathered in Hamm today to send a strong, creative and peaceful message in support of a just energy transition,\u201d said the organizers, which include environmental organizations Fridays for Future, Greenpeace, BUND and Campact.<\/p>\n
The future belongs to renewable energies, not new dependencies on fossil fuels, they said. \u201cWe want a future instead of gas \u2013 and we are joining forces to oppose the federal government\u2019s rollback of climate policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nearby, more than 1,000 protesters have set up a tent camp, called the \u201cClimate Camp,\u201d near the Gerstein power station in Hamm\u2019s Lippepark.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n