As of: March 1, 2024, 6:00 a.m
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Activists from the “Stop Tesla” initiative stand with smoke flares in front of a banner with the inscription “Water is a human right!” in a pine forest near the Tesla Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg plant.
© Patrick Pleul/dpa
Environmental activists do not want to give up the occupation of a forest at the Tesla factory so quickly.
The police have not yet intervened.
Will the protest against the US car manufacturer last weeks?
Grünheide - In protest against the electric car manufacturer Tesla, environmentalists want to continue to occupy a forest in Grünheide near Berlin.
Some of the activists wanted to spend Friday night in their self-built tree houses a few meters above sea level.
Not far from the protest camp in the pine forest is the Tesla factory of the US entrepreneur Elon Musk.
The police do not want to intervene for the time being.
With the occupation since Thursday night, the “Stop Tesla” initiative wants to prevent the forest from being cleared and the Tesla site from being expanded.
In addition, a dispute is raging between the company and the responsible water board because wastewater limits have been exceeded.
Demand to Brandenburg's head of government
The Grünheide citizens' initiative called on Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) to visit the camp and speak to the occupiers.
Around 100 activists came together in the forest near the electric car factory on Thursday, several of whom also took part in protests in the Hambacher Forest or in the brown coal village of Lützerath.
Forest occupiers want to hold out
They announced that they would stay in their tree houses in the forest for a long time and would not leave voluntarily.
The police do not want to dismantle the camp for the time being.
The protests can continue until mid-March, the authorities announced on Thursday.
In addition to the planned deforestation, environmentalists also criticize, among other things, the mining of lithium for batteries.
They accuse Tesla of endangering drinking water and poor occupational safety.
“Clean cars are a dirty lie” and “Water is a human right” could be read on posters.
Eastern Commissioner: Consider protest when planning major projects
With a view to the resistance against large factories like Tesla, Eastern Commissioner Carsten Schneider advises companies to advertise themselves to local people.
From Schneider's point of view, industrial settlements in East Germany are no longer a sure-fire success.
“I notice a change in East Germany,” said the SPD politician to the German Press Agency.
“In the past, practically every major project was welcomed as long as it brought jobs.
Now there is occasional resistance.
You have to take that into account when planning in the future.” The US electric car manufacturer’s expansion plans were rejected by a majority at a referendum in the affected community of Grünheide a few days ago.
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Water board calls meeting
This Friday, the Strausberg-Erkner Water Association (WSE) wants to discuss at an extraordinary meeting whether it will stop wastewater disposal at Tesla.
According to official measurements, Tesla has exceeded certain wastewater limits.
However, the Oder-Spree district sees no danger to the health of the population, as it announced upon request.
According to information from the German Press Agency, the value for phosphorus has been five times above the official limit since the opening of the Tesla factory almost two years ago, and there were four excesses in relation to the contract with the Strausberg-Erkner water association.
The values are based on Tesla's own measurements, which are available to the district.
dpa