The state government in Brandenburg wants to impose conditions on the protest camp. “Stop Tesla” is defending itself against this with an urgent application. picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder
Environmental activists from the “Stop Tesla” initiative are occupying parts of the Brandenburg pine forest to protest against the expansion of the Tesla Gigafactory in Grünheide.
Since the attack on the Gigafactory’s power supply at the beginning of March, the Brandenburg state government has tightened its dealings with the activists.
Now the state government wants to impose conditions on the protest camp. The activists are preparing for a possible eviction.
For weeks, environmental activists have been occupying parts of Brandenburg’s pine forest and protesting against a possible expansion of the Tesla Gigafactory in Grünheide. At the beginning of March there was even a sabotage operation in which the power supply to the Tesla factory was cut off.
Production stopped for several days. Now the Brandenburg state government wants to impose conditions on the protest camp – the activists are defending themselves in court. What’s behind the protests in front of Europe’s only Tesla factory?
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Who is protesting in Grünheide?
The protests against Tesla’s factory expansion are supported by the “Stop Tesla” initiative. According to the initiative, “60 to 80 people” are occupying parts of the pine forest in the protest camp – and are expecting growing support.
More and more people are joining the protest, said a spokeswoman for the initiative. Of course they are trying to mobilize more Protestants. This is nothing unusual at a demonstration.
However, it was not the “Stop Tesla” initiative that was responsible for the production stop at Tesla at the beginning of March, but rather the so-called “Vulkan Group”, which set fire to an electricity pylon in a field in Gosen-Neu Zittau near Grünheide. The State Criminal Police Office is currently investigating unknown perpetrators from this group.
What are the activists protesting against?
Basically, it’s about expanding the Gigafactory, which is located on a 300-hectare site. Tesla wants to expand the factory to include warehouses, a freight yard and a company kindergarten. To achieve this, around 100 hectares of forest must be cleared. Citizens’ initiatives and environmental activists in particular are critical of Tesla’s plans, reports “Utopia”.
The area affected by Tesla’s expansion plans. picture alliance/dpa/dpa Graphic | dpa-infografik GmbH
Since when have there been protests against Tesla in the forest?
In a citizen survey in mid-February, the residents of the community of Grünheide spoke out with a majority of 57 percent against the Tesla expansion. Environmental activists then built treehouses in the Brandenburg pine forest, which became a protest camp. The activists want to prevent possible deforestation.
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Activists carry a tree trunk at the “Stop Tesla” protest camp. picture alliance/dpa | Christophe Gateau
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What is the matter in court now?
When the “Stop Tesla” activists registered the protest camp, they registered it as a political gathering, similar to a demonstration. Such events are subject to the right of assembly and do not need to be separately approved by the police. However, they can be banned or subject to restrictions under certain circumstances.
After the sabotage campaign by the “Vulkan Group”, the Brandenburg state government tightened its dealings with the environmental activists. According to information from the German Press Agency, the repair costs are expected to amount to more than one million euros.
Last Friday, Brandenburg’s Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) presented requirements for the protest camp. These are valid immediately and a violation could mean the end of the meeting, said Stübgen.
The requirements stipulate, among other things, that the activists are no longer allowed to enter the tree houses for safety reasons. The structures should be removed by Monday. “Stop Tesla” defended itself against this with an urgent application because, according to the activists, the tree houses were an elementary part of their protest.
Treehouses in the protest camp against the Gigafactory expansion. picture alliance/dpa | Jörg Carstensen
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What’s next with the protest camp and the Gigafactory expansion?
Relief for “Stop Tesla” came on Saturday when the Potsdam Administrative Court issued an interim order and suspended the requirements until a final decision. The court heard the application on Monday and the participation is expected to be announced on Tuesday.
Until the court has decided on the urgent application from “Stop Tesla”, the activists in the protest camp are preparing for a possible eviction. picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Gollnow
Meanwhile, preparations for a possible evacuation are already underway in the protest camp. Training courses are offered. The activists say they want to prepare for a situation that could be very stressful, both physically and mentally. Introductory courses for newcomers to the camp also take place daily.
In the original conflict over the expansion of the Gigafactory, however, the municipality of Grünheide is now proposing to use only around half of the original area for a Tesla expansion.
AA/dpa