Berlin - Around 250 Germans on Saturday
protested in the outskirts of Berlin where electric car startup
Tesla is planning to build a gigafactory, saying its
construction will endanger water supply and wildlife in the
area.
The U.S. carmaker announced plans last November to build its
first European car factory in Gruenheide, in the eastern state
of Brandenburg.
Politicians, unions and industry groups have welcomed the
move, saying it will bring jobs to the region, but environmental
concerns drove hundreds of locals to the streets on Saturday.
"We are here, we are loud, because Tesla is stealing our
water," protesters called.
Saturday's protest came after a Brandenburg water
association on Thursday warned against "extensive and serious
problems with the drinking water supply and wastewater disposal"
for the proposed factory.
Demonstrators hold pro-Tesla posters during an action to support plans by U.S. electric vehicle pioneer Tesla to build its first European factory and design centre in Gruenheide near Berlin. Picture: Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters
Anne Bach, a 27-year-old environmental activist, said
Tesla's plans published earlier this month showed it would need
more than 300 cubic meters of water per hour which would drain
the area's declining reserves.
"I am not against Tesla ... But it's about the site; in a
forest area that is a protected wildlife zone. Is this
necessary?" Bach said.
"In such an ecological system like the one here and with the
background that climate is changing, I cannot understand why
another location was not selected from the beginning," said
Frank Gersdorf, a member of "Citizens' Initiative Gruenheide
against Gigafactory", a local group that organised Saturday's
protest.
Environmentalist protests in Germany have previously halted
and delayed major companies' plans such RWE's lignite
mining at the Hambach forest, near Cologne, which has become a
symbol of the anti-coal protests.
A pro-Tesla poster is seen during an action to support plans by U.S. electric vehicle pioneer Tesla to build its first European factory and design centre in Gruenheide near Berlin. Picture: Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters
Saturday's protest, which Gersdorf and Bach said developed
spontaneously from a 50-people forest walk demonstration,
highlighted the deforestation of around 300 hectares to build
the factory and its impact on wildlife, including birds, insects
and bats.
People were also protesting against an expected "enormous"
increase in traffic on a nearby highway and through the
villages.
Next to the protest, on the other side of the street, around
20 people carried banners welcoming Tesla in their village, with
children chanting, "We are here, we are loud, because Tesla is
building our future."
Demonstrators hold anti-Tesla posters during a protest against plans by U.S. electric vehicle pioneer Tesla to build its first European factory and design centre. Picture: Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters
Bernd Kutz, a Gruenheide local, said Tesla would bring
improvement to the area, create jobs and give chances to young
people.
"I am here because I don't understand those demonstrators
who shout and show us the finger," Kutz said. "Why has it always
to be negative?"