23 Activists Arrested at Tesla Factory Protest in Germany

Brandenburg police reported the detention of 23 activists and the filing of 76 criminal charges during protests against Tesla. Protestors stormed Tesla’s Gigafactory from Wednesday until Sunday, in a five-day protest against the plant’s expansion.

Concerns over environmental hazards and water scarcity have been escalating, citing that the factory is partially situated in a water protection area. Despite their attempts, activists were unsuccessful in gaining access to the Tesla factory, according to a police spokesperson.

The German police said on Sunday that 1,500 officers were on hand Saturday to deal with more than 1,000 protesters outside the factory.

Robert Habeck, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action since late 2021, commented on the protest stating, “The protest ends there, and criminal liability begins. But no one can have an interest in Germany without automobile production.”

“We are promoting that the cars of the future are produced here – and that jobs and value creation are retained here. And Tesla also builds such cars,” the minister Habeck added.

Representatives from the three leading protest groups stated that they will be present at a local board meeting scheduled to discuss expansion permits next Thursday, according to DW.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk reacted to the protests on Friday questioning the absence of arrests for the activists trespassing on the company’s property. On X, Musk wrote “Why are they not jailed for breaking and entering?,” Musk wrote.

The production at the factory is currently shutdown as Tesla halted production from Thursday to Sunday, affecting only one production day as Thursday was a bank holiday in Germany.

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Footage of the protesters is being shared this Friday on social media platforms showing hundreds of participants trying to enter Tesla’s area as others block access roads to the factory.

Tesla’s GigaBerlin manager, André Thierig, clarified on X that protester were not able to enter the factory thanks to the police and the security team from Tesla.

“People did not manage to get on site! Fence lines stayed intact! Thanks to Brandenburg Police and Tesla security,” Thierig wrote.

Activists also attempted to block the former airfield in Neuhardenberg on Friday, where Tesla cars are temporarily parked, adding to the tensions surrounding the company’s operations. The police reported the ignition of pyrotechnics, intensifying concerns over the security situation.

Some demonstrators diverted from the march behind Fangschleuse train station, disappearing into nearby forests, local media rbb reported. Others have blocked access roads leading to the Tesla factory. The remainder of the protesters have gathered for a vigil outside the factory.

Tesla plans to expand Giga Berlin’s premises by 170 hectares, doubling the facility’s production capacity to 1 million units a year. Despite this ambition, residents of the German town of Grünheide voted against the expansion in a survey earlier this year.

Tesla Giga Berlin is already a prominent feature in Grünheide, a town of 9,000 people near Berlin, Germany and has a current annual production capacity of 500,000 units.