Activists protest German coal plans at Merkel party HQ

Environmental activists scaled the headquarters of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party and covered the building in black drapes Wednesday to protest parts of the government's plan to close coal-fired power stations.

Environmental activists scaled the headquarters of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party and covered the building in black drapes Wednesday to protest parts 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 in the early 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 codifying plans to phase out the burning of coal by 2038. Critics contend that the government plan isn't ambitious enough. Greenpeace objects, among other things, to the fact that utility companies can expect to receive about 4.35 billion euros ($4.9 billion) in the coming years for taking their plants offline.

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