Multiple people have been injured during a protest against Tesla’s plans to further expand its German car factory, located near Berlin.
Reuters reports approximately 800 people from the Disrupt Tesla protest group attempted to storm the Grünheide factory, but were held back by police.
According to local police, several protestors were taken into custody and an undisclosed number of participants were treated for injuries, though the impact on property was reportedly limited to a handful of Tesla cars damaged through the use of paint and pyrotechnics.
Disrupt Tesla has actively voiced concerns about the electric vehicle (EV) giant since the German factory opened in March 2022, subsequently announcing plans to clear 420 acres of nearby forest as part of a facility expansion.
The protest group in turn set itself up in an encampment within the forest, where members have been based for the past two years.
Ole Becker, Disrupt Tesla’s spokesperson, told the outlet the group’s plans are to not only oppose the clearing of forest in Germany, but also to highlight the environmental impact of lithium mining in Argentina and Bolivia.
“We are here today to draw attention to the Tesla factory in Grunheide for the environmental destruction here,” Mr Becker said.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to news of the reports on his social media platform X – formerly Twitter – by posting: “Why do the police let the leftwing protestors off so easily?”
While Tesla’s Berlin factory recently shut down for a week following suspected arson that led to the plant losing power, responsibility for this attack was claimed by an unrelated protest organisation named Volcano Group.
At present, the Tesla Model Y is the only vehicle to be produced in the facility, which contributed to the electric SUV becoming the world’s best-selling car last year, racking up 1.23 million sales globally.
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