Police will finally clean up the Tesla opponents in Grünheide!

Police will finally clean up the Tesla opponents in Grünheide!

Grünheide, Deutschland - The police finally dissolved the protest camp of Tesla opponents in the forest near the car factory in Grünheide near Berlin. A spokeswoman for the police headquarters said that a continuation of the assembly was “not possible here in the form”. Originally, the activists should only temporarily clear the area to make room for an upcoming search for ordnance. But the police now call violations of public security and order as reasons for permanent resolution.

Since February, the environmentalists have occupied the forest area to protest the expansion of the Tesla area, which is to be used for a freight station and storage space. The police reported various crimes, including violations of the masking ban and resistance to the officials. Some of the approximately 30 people in the camp voluntarily left the place, while others stayed in the trees. "It can no longer be assumed that there is a peaceful course," said a police spokesman.

police operation and reactions of the activists

The police operation began on Monday, when the officers asked the activists with a loudspeaker announcement to leave the restricted zone. In rainy weather, there were dangerous actions when some activists tried to keep in the trees. The police temporarily took some Tesla opponents into custody, whereby the operation was largely cooperative. A spokeswoman for the activists said angrily about the police's decision: "The dissolution of the camp is disproportionate." Despite the tense situation, there have been no violent disputes so far.

The municipality of Grünheide had prompted the investigation due to suspicion of ordnance in an approximately 5,000 square meter forest area, which led to the blocking of the area. Although the assembly of the environmental activists was fundamentally allowed, the situation was escalated by the continuing violations and the solidarity campaigns outside the blocking area. The police are now planning to start clearing the camp.