Environmental activists oppose the expansion of the Tesla factory, because the nearby forest would have to be cut down in its path.
Several environmental activists tried to take over the US car manufacturer Tesla’s factory in Grünheide in the German state of Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin.
The police prevented the protesters from entering the factory by force.
Environmental activists have been camping in the forest near the Tesla factory for weeks.
According to the organizers, 800 people participated in the demonstrations.
– Today we are here at the Tesla factory to make visible the environmental destruction here in Grünheide. We also oppose the environmental damage caused by the electric car industry in other countries, such as Bolivia and Argentina, where the lithium needed for electric car batteries is mined. The mining industry causes environmental damage to local people, an environmental activist who participated in the protests Be Becker said the Reuters news agency.
Local residents have opposed the expansion of the Tesla factory because the factory consumes a lot of water, and the area has suffered from water shortages. In order to expand the factory, the forest should also be cut down, which environmental activists oppose.
The demonstrations are the largest so far in front of the Tesla factory, writes Sakslaislehti Berliner Zeitung. According to the newspaper, there were a total of 2,000 protesters around the Tesla factory on Friday.
According to the newspaper, environmental activists have also taken over the nearby old airport, which is no longer in use.
The protests are scheduled to continue on Saturday.
In March, an arson attack on the Tesla factory’s power generation facility temporarily stopped the factory’s operations. Later, a far-left group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Reuters