(CNN) Hundreds of climate change protesters broke into a huge open cast mine in western Germany Saturday to protest against the country's ongoing dependence on fossil fuels.

The activists, many dressed in white overalls, evaded police officers as they crossed fields and roads, before descending into the vast Garzweiler lignite mine , located south-west of Düsseldorf.

The mine, which covers 48 square kilometers, is operated by German electricity giant RWE (Rheinisch-Westfälisches Elektrizitätswerk AG) and produces raw materials used in coal-fired power stations.

Organized by the Ende Gelände (EG) alliance, a German environmental protest movement, the activists staged a blockade against the police, sitting down in the center of the mine, covered with reflective blankets to protect themselves from the sun.

Lignite, a type of coal, is mined at Garzweiler, south-west of Düsseldorf, which covers an area of 48 square kilometers.

"We still have hope, the door is still open to a future within the 1.5 degrees C limit," Sina Reisch, a spokeswoman for the EG alliance, said in a statement. "But we will miss this last chance if we don't act immediately.

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