The Protesters of around 800 camped outside Tesla’s Gigafactory plant in Grueneheide, Germany Friday, which seeks to halt the expansion project and the abhorring environmental impact thereof.
And Elon Musk is not happy about it as his Tesla nightmare continues.
The expansion, which has been a contentious issue, drew criticism from Ole Becker, a spokesperson for the protest’s organizing group, Disrupt.
Becker remarked, “The fight against this car factory is a fight against every car factory,” in a press release on the coalition’s website.
Disrupt’s press release further accused the Gigafactory of being constructed unlawfully and argued that its expansion would inflict harm on the neighboring woodlands.
With over 60 percent local populace reportedly voting against the 50-hectare expansion in a recent poll, as reported by Wired.
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A group of protestors are camping in the forest since then.
The environmental toll of lithium mining, essential for the production of electric car batteries, was another focal point of the protest. According to Reuters, the demonstrators aimed to draw attention to the ecological damage caused by lithium extraction, which releases toxic chemicals and heavy metals into the air, water, and soil globally.
The day of the protest saw a considerable turnout from across Germany
A video shared online captured the chaotic scenes as protesters clashed with law enforcement while attempting to approach the factory.
Musk responded to the footage, assuring that the facility’s security perimeter remained intact.
“Protesters did not manage to break through the fenceline. There are still 2 intact fence lines all around,” he wrote.
“Note, this is ‘National Protest Week’ in Germany, so there are a lot of protests for many different reasons.”
Musk appeared perplexed by the environmentalists’ decision to target Tesla.
He expressed his bewilderment, stating, “Something super weird is going on, as Tesla was the only car company attacked.”
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Musk openly criticized the perceived leniency of the police, questioning, “Why do the police let the left-wing protestors off so easily?”
Becker told CNN he experienced a lot of police torture at the protest, and a video published on X shows police shooting pepper spray at the fleeing protesters. Dozens of protesters were arrested to ensure the disturbances will ceased. The police estimated that hundreds were injured during the demonstration.
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