London
CNN
—
As many as 800 activists gathered outside the Tesla factory near Berlin on Friday to protest expansion plans, with some clashing with police as they tried to enter the factory.
“As part of Disrupt Tesla Action Days, there are currently 800 activists on the Tesla Gigafactory grounds,” Disrupt, the self-proclaimed anti-capitalist coalition that organized the protest, said in a statement on its website. .
According to Reuters, some demonstrators attempted to attack the factory. At least one protester was detained, Reuters reported.
Disrupt spokesperson Ole Becker told CNN: “Unfortunately, we have witnessed a lot of police violence,” he added. “I saw a lot of injuries…I saw things today that I haven't seen in years.”
Neither Tesla (TSLA) nor police in the German state of Brandenburg, where its factory is located, responded to CNN's requests for comment.
However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote in a post: on X Friday: “The protesters were unable to break through the fence line. There are still two intact fences around (the factory).”
Disrupt claims Musk's plan will more than double production capacity Closing Tesla's only factory in Europe will damage the local environment.
The group argues that expansion would require the clearing of swaths of surrounding forest, which would put further strain on local water supplies. They are planning a four-day protest that began Wednesday.
Tesla closed its factory to all employees on Friday in anticipation of crowds gathering outside to protest the planned expansion.
The suspension of production lines at the factory on Friday was announced in January, CNN affiliate RTL reported earlier this week, citing a Tesla spokesperson. But “with the protests in mind” the electric car maker has decided that all other employees at the factory should also stay home, RTL said.
In early March, Tesla was forced to close its factory for a week after a fire broke out in a high-voltage transmission tower that supplies power to the factory. A group of far-left activists claimed responsibility for the arson attack.
Brandenburg city police announced on Wednesday that they were preparing for a “large-scale” operation and said they would be supported by the federal police and several other state police forces.
“We cannot rule out destructive protests as well as criminal acts typical of this type of gathering,” they said in a statement. “The police are therefore prepared for both peaceful and non-peaceful outcomes. If there is a crime, the police will intervene decisively.”
