The “Vulkan Group”, classified as left-wing extremist, has claimed responsibility for an “attack on the power supply” near the Tesla factory near Berlin. The group wants to protest against the US car manufacturer. “We sabotaged Tesla today,” the group said in a letter.
The police say they are currently checking the authenticity of the letter. She assumes the power outage was arson, and the State Security Office of the State Criminal Police Office has started an investigation. The incident caused a production stop at Tesla and numerous households in the region were also affected.
The “Volcano Group” accuses Tesla of exploiting human and natural resources. She was already suspected of carrying out an arson attack on the power supply at the Tesla construction site in 2021. The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution wrote in its 2021 report: “In recent years, left-wing extremists have carried out arson attacks in Berlin as ‘volcano groups’ several times.”
According to the police, the power outage was caused by a burning electricity pole that was standing freely in a field and was not fenced in. At around 5:15 a.m., the fire department was called to the fire in the Gosen-Neu Zittau area (Oder-Spree district) and began extinguishing the fire. Gosen-Neu Zittau borders Grünheide in close proximity to the so-called Tesla Gigafactory.
A Tesla spokeswoman said the factory was evacuated as a result of the power outage. After consultation with the provider Edis, it is not assumed that production can start up again quickly. The factory is the group’s only one in Europe.
According to Edis, the power supply to the surrounding communities has been running again since late morning, but not to the industrial plant and the logistics center. Experts are on site and are preparing to repair the damaged high-voltage pylon, it said. The damage site is secured. The repairs will begin after approval from the investigating authorities.
The police have started an investigation into the fire on a power pole.
(Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa)
Prime Minister Woidke speaks of “terrorism”
“Attacks on our critical infrastructure are a form of terrorism,” said Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD). He called for consistent action by the rule of law. “If the suspicion of a terrorist attack is confirmed, the Federal Prosecutor General will have to take over the investigation,” said Woidke. Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) spoke of a “perfidious attack on our electricity infrastructure” if the initial findings are confirmed.
Since Thursday, around 80 to 100 environmental activists have been occupying part of the state forest in Brandenburg near the factory around the Tesla factory site; The company wants to have this cleared if its site is expanded. The activists have built around ten tree houses several meters high and have announced that they want to hold out for as long as possible.
Two weeks ago, almost two thirds of the citizens of Grünheide spoke out in a resident survey against a development plan to expand the plant. The local council is expected to decide on this in May. The citizens’ vote is not legally binding, but is considered an important signal.