Environmentalists have politics in mind Brandenburg asked to contribute to US car manufacturer Tesla's expansion plans in Grünheide Berlin to stop.
Until then, they want the forest next to the billionaire's factory Elon Musk to keep them busy to prevent deforestation, as they announced over the weekend. “Our protest has just begun and will only increase,” he said Lou Winters of the “Turn Off the Tap for Tesla” alliance on Saturday.
Protest camp with ten treehouses
The 80 to 100 environmental activists from various corners Germany expanded the protest camp they set up on Thursday with ten tree houses. They found themselves strengthened above all by the encouragement of local residents.
Citizens of the region, including families with children, walked around the camp in good weather. They also delivered food, toilet paper and other donations.
“The expansion has to be stopped because the residents don’t want it”
Environmental groups want to support residents' resistance. In a recent survey, the majority of the population of the 9,000-strong community of Grünheide spoke out against Tesla's expansion plans. Politicians must follow this vote, environmental groups demanded.
“What else has to happen for politicians to react and finally put human well-being ahead of profit interests,” Winters said. The refugee and climate activist Carola Raquete, who visited the protest camp on Saturday, said: “I think the expansion has to be stopped because the residents don’t want it.” Rackete is the left's main candidate for the European elections.
The Tesla site is partially in a water protection area
This adds to the problems for the company and its only car factory in Europe. There is also a dispute over Tesla's wastewater and exceeding limit values. There is no quick fix in sight for an exceptional development plan.
Tesla wants to expand its facilities, which are partially in the water protection area, and build a charging station as well as logistics and warehouses. It is an area of around 120 hectares that will be deforested for this purpose. The expansion plans must also be seen in the context that the automaker wants to increase production and double the planned 500,000 cars per year to one million. The last estimate was 300,000 cars per year. Tesla argues that the charging station would transfer traffic from road to rail.
Tree houses and occupied forests were part of the program of the environmental movement, which in the past protested against motorways and especially coal mining, for example in North Rhine-Westphalia. Images of evictions with a large police presence are also remembered. There were also clashes between activists and security forces.
Police tolerate camping until mid-March
In Grünheide – which is in an excursion region rich in forests and lakes – the situation remains peaceful for activists. Police will initially tolerate the camp until mid-March. Environmental groups are authorized to build a maximum of 15 buildings in the forest, according to the authority's notice that can be viewed at the camp. Lighting fires or leaving piles of trash behind is not permitted.
(agencies, yes)
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