The protest camp against the Tesla expansion in Grünheide near Berlin must be dismantled in its current form – but not immediately. Although the assembly authority confirmed an extension until next Thursday, significant requirements would have to be met, including the dismantling of the tree houses, said Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) in Potsdam. The activists have until next Monday to dismantle the building, otherwise they risk being evicted.
The minister announced that he would “significantly increase” the police presence in the area around the plant. It’s about preventing possible attacks on Tesla and deterring “previously uninterested, violent” people who now feel motivated to come to Brandenburg. “Leave it alone, it’s not worth it,” said Stübgen. The police will take consistent action against violations.
The activists’ goal is to prevent the forest from being cleared as part of a planned expansion of the Tesla site with a freight station. A majority of the citizens of Grünheide voted against expansion. In the conflict, the municipality of Grünheide suggests that only about half of the forest be cleared.
Activists’ response
The activists made it clear on Friday that they did not want to comply with the requirements. “We will not dismantle the tree houses,” said a spokesman for the “Stop Tesla” initiative. According to their own statement, the dismantling of the tree houses as an elementary part of the protest is unthinkable. The form of their protest is to build tree houses and stand in the way of Tesla’s plans. An urgent application against the requirements and immediate enforcement is on the way, said the spokesman.
According to his own words, the Interior Minister sees increasing radicalization among some participants. Many of those involved dreamed of a “Lützerath of the East,” said the Interior Minister. They wanted a “European center against eco-fascism”. Hunting stands were destroyed by activists and three trees were felled, said Stübgen. The trunks were used to build “some kind of facility.”
In recent days, additional tents have also been set up outside the gathering area. Strictly speaking, the demonstrators had already violated current regulations. Climate activists had occupied Lützerath in the Rhenish lignite mining area in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the police cleared the protest in a large-scale operation that lasted for days.
According to Stübgen, the assembly authority sees a high potential for self-endangerment when it comes to tree houses. Therefore, the residents of the camp are no longer allowed to use the tree houses from now on. There is a strict ban on entry. Open fire is also prohibited, which includes “any source of ignition” such as gas stoves. According to Stübgen, the meeting area may not be expanded, for example to set up new tents.
Violation of the requirements could result in this meeting being banned and no longer being a legal meeting. Stübgen left out the concept of a possible eviction.
Registered as a political meeting
The activists had registered the camp as a political meeting like a demonstration. Such events are subject to the right of assembly and do not require special approval from the police. However, they can be prohibited or subject to conditions under certain circumstances. In the event of long-term occupation of the forest, nature and species protection concerns must also be examined, said Stübgen.
The protest camp initiative emphasizes that it has nothing to do with an attack. Last week, previously unknown perpetrators set fire to an electricity pylon in a field, which is part of the car factory’s power supply. Production came to a standstill for several days. The left-wing extremist “Vulcan Group” declared that it was responsible for the attack, and the federal prosecutor’s office took over the investigation.
According to the company, around 12,500 people currently work in the factory in Grünheide. The factory opened in March 2022.
