Photo caption,
German police examine a pole damaged in a fire
3 hours ago
Businessman Elon Musk called the attempted arson at the Tesla plant near Berlin stupid, as a result of which the production of electric vehicles was suspended.
Responsibility for the arson was claimed by an ultra-left group, which believed that the plant was using excessive labor and resources.
The company itself said that production is unlikely to resume before next week, and the damage caused by the downtime is estimated at a nine-figure sum.
Tesla wants to double its production in Germany, but this plan has caused discontent among environmentalists.
In a post on social media X, Musk used the German expression “extrem dumm” to describe the arson attempt, calling it an “extremely stupid” idea.
“These are either the dumbest eco-terrorists in the world, or they are simply puppets in the hands of those who do not have the right environmental goals,” he wrote.
In turn, activists calling themselves the Volcano Group said their goal was to sabotage production, which, from their point of view, is too labor-intensive and resource-intensive.
They accused Tesla of polluting groundwater and using huge amounts of drinking water.
As a result of the arson, a high-voltage power line support caught fire, after which the supply of electricity to the plant itself and to nearby settlements was cut off.
Tesla said it sent workers home due to the forced shutdown. The factory buildings were not damaged.
Brandenburg police told the BBC that they are carefully studying the letter from environmental activists.
The region’s Interior Minister Michael Stubgen said on Tuesday morning that “the forces of law and order will respond to this sabotage with the utmost severity.”
Photo caption,
Fire crews arrived at the scene on Tuesday morning
Some environmental activists object to the expansion of the Berlin factory because it would require cutting down a nearby forest.
About 100 activists were already camped there and rushed to distance themselves from the arson. Thus, a group called Robin Hood told the BBC that it had nothing to do with the fire.
The Berlin plant was built to produce 500,000 cars a year, but Musk now wants to double production.
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2024-03-05 21:25:31
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