Tesla’s European Gigafactory Stormed by Climate Protesters: What Happened

Climate Activists Clash with Police at Tesla’s German Factory

In a heated confrontation, German climate protesters engaged in a standoff with police as they tried to gain access to Tesla’s factory premises, which is being used as a storage facility for a large number of unsold vehicles. According to Mende, an activist, the protesters’ objective was to hinder the expansion of the factory.

Mara, a spokesperson for the group “Stop Tesla,” recounted to WIRED,

“[We] have witnessed how the protesters broke through police lines to get onto the factory grounds. We all stand together to disrupt Tesla.”

Across Europe, more radical factions of the climate movement frequently employ the tactic of infiltrating or occupying industrial sites.

Tesla’s Green Credentials Questioned

For several months, Tesla’s German factory, which manufactures electric cars and batteries, has been the focus of protests by climate activists who dispute the company’s environmental claims. Esther Kamm, a spokesperson for Turn Off the Tap on Tesla (TDHA), expressed to WIRED last week,

“Companies like Tesla are there to save the car industry, they’re not there to save the climate.”

Production Halted in Anticipation of Protest

As of February, the factory was producing 6,000 cars per week. However, in anticipation of the protest, production was suspended on Friday. The factory’s manager, André Thierig, confirmed earlier in the week that there would be a “one day planned shutdown.”

Opposition to Expansion Plans

Tesla had expressed intentions to expand the site into the nearby forest to increase production capacity to 1 million cars annually at its sole European gigafactory. However, these expansion plans have faced opposition from a coalition of local residents and climate activists. In a nonbinding poll conducted in February, more than 60 percent of local residents voted against the expansion plans. Since then, protesters have established a forest encampment in close proximity to the factory’s perimeter fence.

Ongoing Protests and Disruptions

Earlier on Friday, police reported that the local train station, Fangschleuse, was temporarily closed due to people sitting on the tracks. It has since been reopened. The protests are expected to continue into Saturday.