Scandal at Porsche: climate activists speak of bad harassment - "everything wrong," says the Autostadt

Created: 03/11/2022 04:49

By: Patrick Freiwah, Katarina Amtmann

Climate protectors pay Volkswagen a visit to confront the group with the consequences of its business model.

It comes to a scandal and mutual accusations.

Wolfsburg/Munich – How far can and should protests go?

An incident in Wolfsburg a few days ago occupied climate protectors and the Volkswagen Group.

Members of the "Scientist Rebellion" protest movement - an association of scientists - had glued themselves to the floor in a showroom with luxury Porsche sleds to demonstrate for decarbonization in the transport sector.

Several activists glued themselves to the ground in the “Porsche Pavilion” in the Autostadt Wolfsburg and stayed there longer than planned.

Only the morning after next (Friday) did the police end the action in consultation with the manufacturer because the protesters had reached their physical limits.

According to the environmentalists, employees of the group also harassed those present and also refused bowls for human necessities.

Autostadt Wolfsburg: climate protection activists from the "Scientist Rebellion" movement discuss with a Volkswagen manager.

© Screenshot: Twitter/GGrimalda

"That's wrong," said Armin Maus, spokesman for the Autostadt, when asked by the

.

He tried to talk to the activists and talked to them for about an hour.

The protesters had demanded a bucket and a privacy tent.

But you don't have a tent like that.

"We didn't give them a bucket because there are enough toilets in the building," says Maus.

The climate activists were offered the opportunity to use them – all but one person did so.

Also, that employees had harassed the activists was "simply wrong."

Wolfsburg: climate protectors protest at VW – “Refused to urinate and defecate”

The climate protest could be followed on social networks such as Twitter, which led to heated reactions – both positive and malicious.

In the pavilion, for example, the light and heating were switched off in the evening, doors were locked and the climate protectionists were left to their fate without food.

"When there is no guest in the room - usually from 6 p.m. - we have a normal energy-saving regime," explained the Autostadt when asked by our editorial team, the heating is then throttled, for example.

But: "It was neither pitch black nor freezing cold." The activists were also brought food from the Autostadt restaurants. 

However, the protesters were denied the desire to speak to VW boss Oliver Blume.

Scientist Gianluca Grimalda, who otherwise works for the Kiel World Economic Institute, commented on the scandal in Wolfsburg via Twitter.

"They refused our request for a bowl to urinate and defecate," he said, explaining the background to the protest.

One concern of his and his fellow campaigners: persuade Volkswagen to support a speed limit of 100 km/h on freeways.

According to the researchers, this implementation is necessary in order to be able to achieve the “decarbonization” of the planet in the long term.

When asked about things like a speed limit, the Autostadt cannot decide at all, explains its press spokesman.

Because: You can't make legal regulations, he refers to politics.

However, German politicians have so far refused to set a speed limit of 130 km/h.

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In addition, security staff would not have let the protest group sleep, after the first night Grimalda complained of swelling on her glued hand.

At first, Volkswagen did not let doctors in, but later allowed it.

According to Grimalda, they found a "life-threatening" blood clot.

While the climate protection activist left the group earlier for medical reasons, the rest of the climate protection movement stayed next to the luxury cars and was finally removed and arrested by the police after 42 hours and two nights.

The Autostadt rejects such allegations.

According to spokesman Maus, the activists were checked regularly.

On the second day, two people had health problems, both were "brought to medical care."

Almost at the same time, there were also protests at the Paris Motor Show, in which environmentalists protested in front of luxury vehicles.

Wolfsburg: climate protectors occupy the VW pavilion – “greenwashing and lobbying”

After the end of the campaign, the climate protector commented on the events and made allegations against the VW group: "I realize that you can't live in someone else's building and can expect to be treated nicely.

I just wanted to highlight the Autostadt director's hypocrisy by first saying they want to support our right to protest and then taking a series of actions to exhaust our physical stamina.”

The motives of the protesters are respected, according to the Autostadt, but not their methods.

There is complete agreement that climate change is a "huge issue".

In the conversation with the activists, which he described as "good", it also became clear that a different opinion was represented there and that demands (e.g. speed limit) were made that the Autostadt could not decide and fulfill at all.

The protest action was stressful for the employees, Maus continued.

The action also caused damage in the five-digit range.

Among other things, the entire floor in the pavilion may have to be replaced, and the sandstone was also damaged during an artificial blood campaign on sandstone in front of the building.

The demand for a 100 km/h limit is a widespread protest

As Grimalda explained in a statement, there is "a short and fast-closing window to ensure a livable and sustainable future for all".

The latest IPCC report would make that clear.

“We cannot allow greenwashing and lobbying by multinationals like VW to delay urgent climate action.

Our lives depend on it,” Grimalda explains.