About 800 protesters clashed with police on Friday as they tried to enter a Tesla factory in a forest in Germany.
The protest was part of an effort to block a planned expansion of the factory in Grüneheid, near Berlin, which they say could cause environmental problems, the organizing group Dirty Tesla said in a statement. Report on its website.
“Here, activists are holding Tesla Group responsible for pumping groundwater, stealing resources and endangering people worldwide,” Disrupt Tesla spokesman Ole Becker said in a statement.
The video shows dozens of demonstrators wearing blue hats and face masks trying to storm the Tesla compound as police use force to stop them. Medical personnel are assisting the injured at the hospital.
“Why do police let leftist protesters off so easily?” Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to a post on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that suggested protesters were plotting under the banner of Antifa.
Several arrests were made and some injuries were reported
Police said all attempts to enter the factory were thwarted and several people were arrested Reuters.
Becker said the group also plans to highlight the environmental destruction caused by lithium mining in other countries, such as Argentina and Bolivia, Reuters reported. The metal is often used to power electric vehicle batteries.
“We protect freedom of assembly, but we are also responsible for public order and security. That means we intervene when necessary,” Brandenburg police spokesman Mario Heinemann told Reuters.
USA TODAY has reached out to Tesla for comment on the incident.
