German police have successfully prevented a group of demonstrators from storming Tesla's factory near Berlin during protests against the electric car maker's environmental impact. The protesters gathered near the Grunheide factory, Tesla's only European production base, with banners expressing concerns about water consumption at the plant and advocating for public transport over private cars.
Activists have been protesting near the factory since February over worries about water usage and plans to cut down trees for an expansion of the plant, which began operations in early 2022. In March, an arson attack on an electricity pylon, claimed by a far-left group, disrupted production at the factory for nearly a week.
CEO Elon Musk criticized the culprits of the attack, calling them the "dumbest eco-terrorists on Earth" and arguing that anti-Tesla protesters are misguided in targeting electric vehicle production over fossil fuel-powered vehicles.
During Friday's protest march, hundreds of participants attempted to enter the Tesla site, but police managed to prevent them from doing so. The demonstrators also blocked a nearby highway and railway line, and set off fireworks at an airfield where Tesla stores new cars. Several individuals were detained temporarily by the police.
Ole Becker, a spokesperson for "Disrupt Tesla," a group involved in organizing the protest, criticized companies like Tesla for prioritizing profit over environmental concerns. Becker emphasized the need to prioritize public transportation over individual cars, such as SUVs.
Overall, the situation at Tesla's factory near Berlin remains tense, with demonstrators expressing their concerns about the company's environmental impact and police working to maintain order and prevent any further disruptions to production.