Protests escalated

Pepper spray, batons: Hunting scenes at Tesla

Police officers stand next to the protesters at the demonstration against Tesla.

(Bild: APA Pool/APA/dpa/Wilhelm Pischke)

The protests against the car manufacturer Tesla in Grünheide near the German capital Berlin escalated on Friday. During a demonstration, hundreds of radical left-wing activists attempted to storm the company premises. There were wild clashes with the police.

The activists scaled a wild fence at the edge of the Tesla factory. The police arrived with a large contingent. Water cannons and an armored personnel carrier were also deployed.

There were repeated clashes with the officers. The police used pepper spray and batons.

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One injured
At least one woman was injured during the protests around the factory premises. It initially remained unclear whether there were also injuries on the police side. Several people received medical treatment on the spot.

Activists complained about the police's actions
The situation calmed down for the time being in the afternoon. A large number of activists had made their way back to the protest camp by road, a police spokesman said. According to a dpa reporter, there were again clashes with the police and isolated arrests. A spokesperson and a spokesperson for various protest groups involved criticized the police's "disproportionately brutal" approach.

70 activists blocked the road
On the fringes of the demonstration marches to the site, there was also a sit-in blockade on country road 23 near the plant. Around 70 people blocked the road and the exit from the A10 highway, according to the police. Some activists stuck to the road, others placed tree trunks on the road as obstacles.

The police tried to cordon off the site of the only Tesla plant in Europe, and several highway exits were closed. The railroad line between Berlin and Frankfurt an der Oder was also temporarily disrupted.

Protest against the expansion of the Tesla site
The protests started at the protest camp set up near the car plant in Grünheide. Activists have also been staying there in tree houses since the end of February to protest against the planned expansion of the Tesla site and the clearing of forest. The police want the tree houses to be dismantled. A legal dispute is therefore still ongoing. Tesla opponents have been calling for days of action against the car manufacturer since Wednesday. Further actions by demonstrators around the Tesla plant are also expected at the weekend.