Protesters stormed Tesla’s factory site near Berlin on Friday, in opposition to the carmaker’s local expansion plans. Footage circulating on social media showed demonstrators wearing black clothing entering the premises and heading towards one of the buildings.
According to Lucia Mende, spokesperson for the group Disrupt Tesla, about 800 people had infiltrated the gigafactory. The protesters were reportedly en route to a disused airfield where Tesla was storing unsold cars, aiming to impede the factory’s expansion.
Local police confirmed that several individuals were attempting unauthorized access to the factory premises and assured they were working to prevent such actions. Despite claims of arrests by Mende, the exact number remained unknown, with neither the police nor Tesla responding to inquiries from WIRED.
A member of the group Stop Tesla, Mara, shared that protesters had breached police barriers to enter the factory grounds, emphasizing their united stance against Tesla. This tactic of disrupting industrial sites is commonly employed by more radical factions of the climate movement in Europe.
Climate activists have long targeted Tesla’s German factory, criticizing the company’s purported environmental commitments as deceptive. Esther Kamm of Turn Off the Tap on Tesla denounced Tesla’s intentions, stating they prioritize the car industry over climate preservation.
Although the factory was churning out 6,000 vehicles weekly as of February, production was halted in anticipation of the protests. With plans to expand into the adjacent forest to boost annual output to one million cars, Tesla faced resistance from a coalition of locals and environmental advocates camping near the factory.
Earlier in the day, disruptions at the local train station, Fangschleuse, led to its temporary closure as individuals occupied the tracks, causing inconvenience that has since been resolved.
The situation is evolving, and updates will be provided as available.
