Police in Germany suspect a group of left-wing activists of setting fire to, among other things, a crane and some cables at Tesla's factory on the outskirts of Berlin.
German police are currently investigating whether left-wing activists are behind an arson attack on Tesla's factory on the outskirts of Berlin.
The attack took place on Tuesday evening and hit construction sites near the factory in Grünheide. Authorities are investigating possible links to left-wing extremist groups.
This is reported by T-Online , among others.
The alarm was raised on Tuesday evening when fires broke out in several places near Tesla's factory. According to German media, the attack was aimed at subcontractors associated with several of the carmaker's construction projects in the area.
Rescue workers and police arrived at the scene and found that two cranes and several cables were in flames.
It quickly became clear that the arsons were arson. Police found a letter posted on the internet in which a left-wing extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group is protesting Tesla's presence in Berlin and plans to expand the factory.
This is not the first time that the Tesla factory in Grünheide has been the target of such attacks. But the situation has been further exacerbated after Elon Musk publicly supported the right-wing AfD ahead of last weekend's elections in Germany.
German police are now looking into whether they can place real responsibility for the attack anywhere. At the same time, security around the factory has increased significantly.
There is particular focus on the new construction projects, which include Deutsche Bahn. The German railway giant is planning a freight station near the factory, a project that has caused debate.
Environmental activists have erected wooden huts around the Grünheide factory as part of their protests against Tesla's expansion plans. Several of the activists have been confrontational towards people who work with or directly for Tesla.
The latest attack on the car factory comes at a time when a large amount of forest is being cut down to make way for an expansion of the factory area.
Tesla in Grünheide has been a focal point for discussions regarding environmental concerns and local development. Disagreements over, among other things, water consumption and the impact on the surrounding ecosystem have repeatedly led to demonstrations outside the factory.
The authorities are responding by patrolling the construction sites to ensure that Tesla's construction plans are not further disrupted or sabotaged.
Tesla has not yet officially commented on the specific security measures put in place following the latest attack, but it is expected that the company will intensify cooperation with local authorities.
