Activists are protesting against Tesla’s plan to expand its factory established since 2022 in Grünheide, a small town about thirty kilometers southeast of the German capital.

A police spokesperson told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the incident resulted in injuries among protesters and officers, without giving details of how many.

The protesters belong to a collective of environmental protection associations, including Extinction Rebellion, Nabu and Robin des Bois.

The protests began on Wednesday, with the establishment of a camp not far from the factory.

The collective "Disrupt Tesla" claimed to have gathered more than 1,000 people today.

Since February, environmental activists have been regularly protesting against Tesla’s factory expansion project.

They call for the security of the "water supply" and "real climate protection", protesting against Elon Musk’s "false capitalist solutions".

The North American billionaire wants to expand the Gruenheide factory by 170 hectares to double production, to reach one million electric vehicles per year.

This 'gigafactory', Tesla’s only one in Europe, already occupies about 300 hectares, where about 12,000 people work and where the "Model Y", Tesla’s main SUV for the European market, is manufactured.

The project has angered environmentalists and residents, who are concerned about the surrounding forest and the water table, or the increase in road traffic in the region.

A local referendum was opposed by 60%, but it was only consultative.

Der Schwarze Block stürmt das #Tesla Gelände in #Grünheide offenbar mit dem Ziel die Produktion der #Gigafactory zu unterbrechen...

Waren E-Autos bis vor kurzem nicht die Lösung? pic.twitter.com/oe3VRrwsvo

— Dr. David Lütke (@DrLuetke) May 10, 2024

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