By Oliver Barth and Stefan Remter
GRUENheidE, Germany (Reuters) – Protesters opposing Tesla’s (NASDAQ:) expansion of its factory near Berlin held out in tree houses on Tuesday as German police climbed ladders and cut down rope structures in an attempt to clear their forested camp .
In May, protesters clashed with police when some tried to storm the factory. This is the only European gigafactory of the American electric vehicle manufacturer and employs around 12,000 employees.
Police said on Tuesday that criminal offenses and violations of assembly regulations, including resistance to a police operation, had meant that the safety of the Tesla site could no longer be guaranteed.
Led by the Disrupt Tesla group, protesters claim plans to double the size of the factory will damage the environment.
“There are still people here in the trees who are resisting,” says Mila, a spokesperson for the protest camp.
“The situation is obviously dangerous, slippery in terms of safety, it’s raining and it’s freezing all day. But we will continue to protest.”
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Although some protesters left of their own accord after police announced the evacuation earlier on Tuesday, “there are still people trapped in trees and rope structures at this time,” police said, and efforts to clear the camp were ongoing.
Disrupt Tesla had posted on social media platform X on Monday calling for mass protests against “the destruction caused by Tesla and Elon Musk” to forests and water.
Protesters have also disrupted the area in the past by blocking a nearby highway and interrupting rail service by sitting on the tracks.