In This Story
Climate activists protesting Tesla’s expansion tried to storm its gigafactory in Germany on Friday.
“Several people are trying to gain unauthorized access to the Tesla factory premises,” Brandenburg police said an X post. “We are working to prevent this.”
According to Disrupt, a coalition that claims to have led the protest, about 800 activists were on site on part of the “Disrupt Tesla Action Days.”
“Activists are highlighting the Tesla Group as being responsible for groundwater temptation, theft of resources, and the endangerment of people globally,” the coalition said in a statement.
Despite local protest, the automaker is planning to expand its footprint, which it looks to do so by clearing forest space.
Brandenburg police claim that several masked individuals climbed over the fence at the at Neuhardenberg airport and proceeded to damage dozens of Tesla vehicles with paint. Those individuals then allegedly blocked the main entrance to the airport and held an emergency meeting, police said.
In videos posted online, police clash with and pepper-spray dozens of individuals sporting caps and face masks. Law enforcement officials said they made several arrests, adding that several people were injured, including police officers.
Tesla’s factory workers, however, were reportedly warned ahead of time about the demonstration.
Opposition in Germany didn’t stop CEO Elon Musk from blasting protestors on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. In one post, Musk claimed, “Something super weird is going on, as Tesla was the *only* car company attacked!”