Protesters attempt to storm Tesla German plant, clash with police

BERLIN – Protesters opposed to expansion of US electric vehicle maker Tesla’s plant in Grunheide near Berlin clashed with police as some of them attempted to storm the facility on May 10.

Some 800 people took part in the protest, according to the organising group Disrupt Tesla, which claims the expansion would damage the environment.

A Reuters video showed dozens of people wearing blue caps and face-covering masks coming from a nearby wooded area and attempting to storm the company’s premises, with policemen trying to prevent them, including by force. At least one protester was detained.

“Why do the police let the left-wing protesters off so easily?” Tesla chief executive Elon Musk wrote on his social medial platform X, adding that the demonstrators did not manage to break through.

The video also showed medical personnel helping some injured people.

“We are here today to draw attention to the Tesla factory in Grunheide for the environmental destruction here,” Disrupt Tesla spokesman Ole Becker told Reuters.

The group also wants to highlight environmental destruction in countries like Argentina and Bolivia, brought about by lithium mining, according to Mr Becker. Lithium is a key resource for electric vehicle batteries.

“We protect the freedom of assembly,” Brandenburg police spokesman Mario Heinemann said, “but we are also responsible for public order and safety. That means we will also intervene when necessary”.

The police confirmed that the protesters tried to enter the plant’s premises but were prevented, with several people taken into custody, and that they received a few reports of injuries.

Some of the demonstrators have damaged a few Tesla cars using pyrotechnics and paint at a nearby car storage site, the police spokesman added.

Tesla earlier this week said it would shut the factory for one day on May 10, without specifying a reason. REUTERS