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Tesla plant protesters hold out in trees as German cops clear camp

Protesters opposed to Tesla's growth of its plant near Berlin were holding out in treehouses on Tuesday as German police went up ladders and cut down rope structures in an attempt to clear their forested camp.

In May, the protesters clashed with police as some attempted to storm the center, which is the U.S. electric lorry maker's only European gigafactory and employs some 12,000 staff.

Police stated on Tuesday that criminal offences and offenses of assembly regulations, consisting of withstanding an authorities operation, had implied the security of the Tesla website could no longer be ensured.

Led by the Disrupt Tesla group, protesters argue that strategies to double the factory's size will harm the environment.

There are still people in the trees here who are resisting, said Mila, a spokesperson for the protest camp.

The circumstance is obviously unsafe, slippery in terms of security, it's raining and it's freezing cold all day. However we will continue our demonstration.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Although some protesters left of their own accord after authorities revealed the clearance previously on Tuesday, there are presently still individuals in trees and rope structures police stated, adding efforts to clear the camp were ongoing.

Interrupt Tesla had called in a post on social networks platform X on Monday for mass protests against the damage triggered by Tesla and Elon Musk to forests and water.

Protesters have, in the past, also interfered with the surrounding area by blocking a neighboring freeway and disrupting the rail service by resting on the tracks.

(source: Reuters)