The dispute over the expansion plans for the Tesla factory in Grünheide is entering an important phase. The community representatives want to vote on the plans. Opponents have announced a protest.
Accompanied by protests, the community of Grünheide, southeast of Berlin, is voting today on expansion plans by the US electric car manufacturer Tesla. Elon Musk’s company wants to expand its premises to build a freight yard and storage areas.
The community representatives want to vote on a development plan in the afternoon after a consultation, said the chairwoman of the community council, Pamela Eichmann (SPD). Tesla opponents called on community representatives to vote no.
Woidke appeals: Demo must remain peaceful
The state government appeals to the demonstrators to protest peacefully. Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke and Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach (both SPD) said in a joint statement that violence and intimidation are never legitimate means.
“Activists who have arrived from different corners of Germany do not live with the effects on site – the citizens of Grünheide do. The floor belongs to you and the representatives you have elected.” It goes on to say: “The representatives of Grünheide are responsible for making a decision in the interests of their community. Local planning sovereignty is a valuable asset of representative democracy.”
There has long been strong resistance to the expansion of Tesla’s only European factory. Activists tried to storm the factory premises last week. There has also been a protest camp in the forest on the edge of the car factory since February. The police are also expecting protests today. A police spokeswoman said a meeting was registered at the voting location. According to the organizers of the “Turn off the tap from Tesla” alliance initiative, 50 people are expected.
Two thirds of the citizens of Grünheide against expansion
Tesla’s expansion plans are controversial in the community with around 9,200 residents. According to previous plans, more than 100 hectares of forest were to be cleared. In a survey of the citizens of Grünheide in February, almost two thirds voted against the expansion. The vote was not binding, but it was a signal. That’s why Mayor Arne Christiani (independent) proposed a compromise with a new draft, according to which only almost 50 hectares of forest would be cleared and 70 hectares would be preserved.
If the community representatives vote for the expansion, there will be further protests, said a spokeswoman for the “Stop Tesla” initiative. The protest camp with tree houses and tents was originally only planned to run until May 20th. But the activists announced: “We want to stay.”
A corresponding extension beyond May 20th has already been requested. If there is a vote for the plant expansion, the Grünheide citizens’ initiative wants to file a lawsuit against it together with other organizations. Their spokesman Steffen Schorcht told the magazine “Stern”: “We will take legal action against a positive expansion decision.”
Police expect low numbers of participants
The activists warn of environmental dangers from company boss Musk’s car factory. However, after the protests last week with 76 criminal complaints and 23 temporary detentions, the police are expecting fewer participants. You can’t rule anything out, but you don’t expect the extent of last weekend. No police officers from other federal states will be called in, as was the case on Saturday and Sunday.
More than 12,000 people now work in the Tesla factory. The worldwide planned job cuts at Tesla also affect hundreds of jobs at the Grünheide plant. The company had always stated that its goal was to double production capacity from the current target of 500,000 cars per year to one million. At the moment it is estimated that there are around 300,000 cars per year.
Source: Stern
