These climate activists are taking a leaf out of Bart Simpson’s book for their protest.
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Environmental activists protesting the expansion of Tesla’s (TSLA) Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg have taken some very creative measures to physically prevent its expansion.
Starting on the evening of Feburary 28, about 80 activists from an advocacy group called Robin Wood have laid down their flag and marked their territory in the forest near the factory. The group protesting the plant’s expansion have since created a “Occupy-style” commune consisting of tree houses suspended by rope up to 10 meters in the air in between the trees.
By doing this, they hope to get in the way of the crews contracted by Tesla to cut down said trees and to make it harder for authorities to rid them from the area.
Tesla seeks to expand the plant near Berlin another 420 acres to boost production, adding a freight station, warehouses and a company kindergarten, however, activists claim that the area designated to be cleared is a designated water-protection site that is vital to the local community.
“Our goal is to prevent the expansion of the factory in Grünheide because Tesla is stealing water from the local people and endangering the drinking water,” an activist named “Caro” told Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb24), translated from German.
Activists from the “Stop Tesla” initiative have erected several tree houses in a pine forest near the Tesla Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg plant.
picture alliance/Getty Images
The group occupying the forest is acting on behalf of local residents in Grünheide. Last week, over 60% of residents voted against the automaker’s proposed expansion plans of the 740-acre factory. Though the vote was non-binding on paper, the group believes that their local representation will not follow through on the will of the local residents.
“We believe that politicians will continue to work with Tesla as in previous times and will want to enable expansion here, and we are resolutely opposed to this and many local citizens, as we have already heard, are suspicious and we remain so,” “Caro” told the local outlet, translated from German.
Another participant in the tree house occupation reflected a similar tone and exclaimed distrust in the local government.
“We have had the experience that, I would say, the local council ultimately agreed to everything without thinking about what they were actually destroying with the environment and also the climate here,” Manela Hoyer of Bürgerinitiative Grünheide said, translated from German.
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Water in and around the Tesla’s German gigafactory has been a hot-button issue since the factory began operations. Concerns about the factory’s water usage have been raised because of recent summer droughts in the region, and recently, the local water authority raised concerns about the contents in its wastewater.
Local authorities said that they are actively speaking with the protestors. Though the land they are occupying belongs to the state of Brandenburg, there are currently no plans to clear the activists out.
“In the meantime, a cooperation discussion also took place with the assembly authorities and the protestors here in the forest. As a result it has now been agreed, so to speak, that the protests can continue,” local police press officer Roland Kamenz told rbb24, translated from German. “This will be the case for several days. We also have the option of extending this again so that we can prepare for longer-term protests here.
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