Protest camp against Tesla factory near Grünheide is allowed to remain

The protest camp near the Tesla car factory in Grünheide is allowed to remain. The Potsdam Administrative Court rejected the police’s demands that the tree houses be dismantled. There is no eviction for the time being.

The tree houses in the protest camp against the expansion plans of the electric car manufacturer Tesla in Grünheide are allowed to remain. The administrative court in Potsdam rejected the police’s requirements on Tuesday and referred, among other things, to the fundamental rights protection of freedom of assembly. It is therefore not possible to evacuate the camp for the time being.

According to the court’s reasoning, the “general considerations regarding the incompatibility of the protest camp, including the tree houses, with nature conservation and building law regulations for the danger forecast required under assembly law” were not sufficient. The assembly authority also did not deal “to the extent necessary” with the fact that freedom of assembly is protected by fundamental rights.

Against the background of the protest, dangers under assembly law should have been identified instead of citing general building regulations, a spokesman for the court explained after the decision. The assembly authority also did not deal “to the extent necessary” with the fact that freedom of assembly is protected by fundamental rights. An appeal against the decision is still possible at the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court.

Police check – activists see themselves confirmed

A spokeswoman for the Brandenburg Police Headquarters told rbb|24 that the decision is now being examined. Only then can one say whether further legal steps will be taken.

“All the requirements we were given were illegal. We were right on all counts and will therefore continue to stay here,” said a spokesman for the “Stop Tesla” initiative after the court’s decision.

Around 80 activists in protest camp

The requirements were presented last Friday by Brandenburg Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU). In addition to dismantling the tree houses, they stipulated a strict ban on entering the buildings. The activists rejected this and took action against the requirements with an urgent application to the administrative court, which in turn froze the conditions until the decision on Tuesday.

Around 80 activists are currently occupying part of a forest at the electric car manufacturer’s factory. Their goal is to prevent the forest area from being cleared as part of a planned expansion of the site, including the freight station. They set up camp at the end of February. A majority of the citizens of Grünheide had voted against expanding the factory in a citizen survey. In the conflict, the community of Grünheide is proposing to clear only about half of the forest.

New development plan: Tesla foregoes some of the forest clearing

Tesla has reconsidered its plans to expand its factory premises and now wants to clear 47 instead of 100 hectares of forest and forego planned buildings. The mayor of Grünheide has therefore announced a new development plan.more

After the court decision, there was a relaxed atmosphere in the camp. Everyone involved is happy that the camp is not being evacuated, says one resident. “This means that the absolute minimum of democracy and the rule of law has been achieved. Now we can take a deep breath.”

A spokeswoman for the “Stop Tesla” initiative said on Tuesday that they now want to stay until at least May 20th. “We will only leave if the plant expansion is prevented.” In retrospect, the initiative criticized the actions of the assembly authority. There was no cooperation discussion with the police or an appropriate hearing, said the initiative’s spokeswoman. The state government tried to criminalize the protest from the beginning. “Our protest cannot be evacuated.”

Stübgen wanted Court decision not Leave a Comment

Interior Minister Stübgen declined to comment on Tesla and the protest camp at a press conference on the industrial strategy on Tuesday afternoon.

The police justified the request to dismantle the tree houses with a high potential risk for the people in the camp. The activists rejected this because the tree houses were an essential part of their protest. Interior Minister Stübgen said on Friday that violations of the requirements could result in an end to the meeting. He avoided the term “eviction.”

Tesla protest camp will not be cleared for the time being

Activists have been occupying a forest near the Tesla factory for days. The permit for this was supposed to expire on Saturday night, and the activists requested an extension. Now it is clear: the camp will not be evacuated for the time being.more

Camp registered as a political meeting

According to their own statements, the forest occupiers had independently obtained a report from a civil engineer and a tree expert to assess the safety aspects of the treehouses. The civil engineer certified that the buildings had high safety standards, according to a spokesman for the initiative. The installations could remain in the trees “for months, if not years.” The tree expert also certified that the tree houses were built to protect the trees.

The activists also rejected the new, adjusted plans to expand the factory. The “B-Plan light” is rejected, said the spokeswoman for “Stop Tesla”. The municipality of Grünheide and Tesla presented an adapted development plan a few days ago. Instead of the more than 100 hectares that were originally intended to be cleared to expand the site, only just under 50 hectares of forest will be cleared. From Thursday, the municipality wants to involve citizens in these plans in a participation process.

The activists had registered the camp as a political meeting like a demonstration. Such events are subject to the right of assembly and do not require special approval from the police. However, they can be prohibited or subject to conditions under certain circumstances.

Broadcast: rbb24 Inforadio, March 19, 2024, 4:00 p.m