German police said on they are investigating an “assumed” arson attack at a Berlin construction site after activists reportedly claimed responsibility as they protested an expansion of a Tesla factory.
In the early hours of Tuesday, “several fires were reported” at the site in the eastern Berlin district of Marzahn, with “construction cranes and Deutsche Bahn signal cables affected,” Berlin police said in a statement.
What was the possible motive for the attack?
“During the extinguishing process, streetcar and vehicle traffic on Landsberger Allee was restricted for an hour or more.”
“As things stand, the investigators are assuming arson with a political motivation being investigated.”
A far-left group posted an anonymous letter on a website saying they were responsible for the attack, according to media reports in Germany.
The group said construction firm Strabag, which operates the plant, was involved in the expansion of a factory run by Elon Musk’s electric carmaker Tesla in Grünheide, a municipality in Brandenburg, some 30 kilometers south-east of the German capital.
The group claimed the company was building a freight yard at the Tesla plant, to be run by state rail operator Deutsche Bahn, and that swathes of forest were to be felled for the project.
What’s the story with Musk and Germany?
Billionaire and X owner Musk has sparked anger among those with a left-leaning persuasion after his very public backing of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the build-up to federal elections, which took place last Sunday.
In 2022, Tesla opened the production plant, the only one of its kind in Europe.
At the end of 2023, Tesla announced expansion plans, aiming to double capacity to one million cars a year at the site, which has around 12,000 employees.
The firm later scaled back the plans after locals opposed them in a vote.
But the proposal has continued to spark anger among residents and environmentalists.
In March of 2024, the manufacturing plant was forced to bring a stop to production after a suspected arson attack on power lines claimed by a far-left group.
Activists also set-up treehouses in the wooded areas nearby to show their displeasure at the expansion and environmentalists have protested at the site against the enlargement ambitions.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
