Activists protest German coal plans at Merkel party HQ

BERLIN (AP) — Environmental activists have scaled the headquarters of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party and covered the building in black drapes to protest details of the government’s plan to close coal-fired power stations. Greenpeace activists climbed onto the roof of the center-right Christian Democratic Union’s glass-fronted headquarters in Berlin early Wednesday morning. They also hung a banner with a picture of Economy Minister Peter Altmaier and the slogan “CDU: Shady deals with the coal industry” on the facade. The protest comes as Germany’s parliament prepares to vote Friday on legislation phasing out the burning of coal by 2038. Critics contend that the German government plan isn’t ambitious enough.