The desperate last fight to save a forest from Tesla | Environment
A clash of competing visions
The German Tesla factory has faced controversy since it opened in March 2022. Problems reported by the IG Metall union include safety concerns and an overwhelming workload 12,000 workersAccording to an investigation by German magazine Stern, many say they are treated as “robots rather than people.”
Then in March 2024, there was a sabotage to Tesla’s power grid, claimed by the far-left activist group Vulkangruppe, which halted production for almost a week. In May, more than 800 activists staged a week of protests near the factory, combining direct action with workshops and environmental group meetings.
As a result, the Grünheide Forest has become the focal point for a broader conflict between competing visions: rapid industrial expansion driven by billionaires like Elon Musk and the promises of a “global green transition”; and the other is local resistance that advocates for social-ecological alternatives. Where this fight will end is unclear.
However, one thing is clear. The expulsion of the activists has not silenced the resistance. Just three days after the operation, opponents of Tesla’s expansion plans organized a symbolic “walk in the forest” with Carola Rackete, an activist and MEP. She highlighted the global risks and warned of Musk’s increasing influence – particularly given his role in the incoming US administration of Donald Trump.
Rackete called for sustained resistance to Tesla as part of a broader confrontation with global power dynamics.
The Grünheidewald is now a symbol that transcends national borders and links local, national and global problems in the fight against climate injustice and unchecked industrial expansion.
