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Hundreds of protesters opposed the expansion of a Tesla plant in Grünheide, near Berlin, clashed with police on Friday when some of them tried to storm the electric vehicle manufacturing facility.
About 800 people participated in the protest, according to the organizing group Disrupt Tesla, which argued that the expansion would harm the environment. Tesla has sparked a backlash since the company opened the factory in March 2022 and later announced plans to expand into a nearby forest to increase production capacity.
In February, the city where the factory is located they voted against plans for a referendum that was not legally binding. Protesters ever since were deployed in a camp nearby in protest. Same facility was closed for a week in March after a suspected arson cut off its power. A separate protest group called the Volcano Group claimed responsibility for the fire, calling for the “total destruction of the gigafactory”.
Video footage of Friday’s action showed dozens of people wearing blue hats and masks coming from a nearby wooded area and trying to break into the company’s premises with police officers trying to stop them, including using force. At least one protester was detained.
“Why are the police letting left-wing protesters off so easily?” Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, wrote on his social platform X, adding that the demonstrators failed to break through. Tesla, which dissolved its press division in 2020, did not respond to a request for comment.
The group also wants to highlight the environmental destruction in countries like Argentina or Bolivia caused by lithium mining, according to Disrupt Tesla spokesperson Ole Becker. Lithium is a key resource for electric vehicle batteries.
“We are here today to draw attention to the Tesla factory in Grünheide for the destruction of the environment here,” Becker told Reuters.
Police confirmed that protesters tried to enter the factory premises but were stopped, with several people detained and several reports of injuries.
“We protect freedom of assembly,” said Brandenburg police spokesman Mario Heinemann, “but we are also responsible for public order and safety. This means that we will also step in when necessary.
Some of the demonstrators damaged several Tesla cars using pyrotechnics and paint at a nearby car storage facility, the police spokesman added.
Earlier this week, Tesla said it would close the factory for a day on Friday, without specifying a reason.
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