Protesters clashed with police during a five-day demonstration against Tesla's expansion plans near Berlin, Germany. Approximately 800 activists gathered outside Tesla's factory on May 10, 2024, and some attempted to storm the facility. The protesters were organized by groups such as Disrupt Tesla and Stop Tesla. They argued that Musk's plans to expand production capacity would damage the local environment by clearing forested areas and straining water supply.
Tesla shut down the factory on Friday in anticipation of protests against the planned expansion. The facility was also closed for a week in early March due to an arson attack on a high-voltage electricity pylon delivering power to the plant. A far-left activist group claimed responsibility for the attack.
The protesters contradicted police and Musk's claim that they did not reach Tesla property. They were on their way to a disused airfield which Tesla is reportedly using to store thousands of unsold cars. The local train station, Fangschleuse, was closed as people sat on the tracks during the protests.
The climate activists have been living in a forest encampment footsteps away from the factory's perimeter fence since then. They argue that Tesla's expansion plans are not in line with their green credentials and call for public transport instead of private cars, SUVs, buses, and trains.
Police intervened during the protests leading to injuries among police and protesters as well as an unknown number of arrests. Elon Musk denied that the protesters had reached Tesla property but admitted that production was halted due to the protest. The factory manager confirmed a one-day planned shutdown earlier in the week.
