Berlin Tesla activists say civil disobedience is only option

https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-tesla-activists-say-civil-disobedience-is-only-option/a-69054007

by rntn • 2 years ago

39 64 2 years ago

Reading this i just think of the Fassbinder movie The Third Generation, where the protestors, in causing civil disobedience for their higher values, are really supported and lead on by the commercial interests of their parents.

In this case, while the protestors say they are against all car manufacturers, only Tesla is new to the massively automotive dominant corporate scene. Their ideological stand only serves the entrenched powers.

But very typisch Berlin in any case, no one can be surprised!

Rinzler897• 2 years ago

the protestors say they are against all car manufacturers

Which is ironic, considering the German economy supporting their education system, healthcare system, and welfare state that gave them that comfy lifestyle enabling them to have the time, money and freedom to protest without starving to death or being in debt for their education and healthcare, was built and funded in large part by that auto industry they're protesting against. There's something poetic about it here.

It's great to live in a country where you have the luxury to protest against investors bringing local jobs, since a lot of people in rich western nations take this for granted, as people in less fortunate nations, even very close to Germany, would kill to have Elon build a Tesla fab in their city and give them jobs (not that I'm a fan of his, quite the contrary, but more jobs on the market is always better for employees).

eesmith2• 2 years ago

You've made effectively the same argument used against white students who went into the Deep South US in the 1960s to help the civil rights movement.

While those white students benefited from being raised in a segregationist culture - it gave them the time, money, and freedom to protest segregation - those benefits don't justify continued segregation.

exe342• 2 years ago

As long as they don't deny the fact that those industries funded their education, I don't think there's anything ironic about this. If your parents had slaves that grew and cooked your food, made clothes for you and taught you an education, would it mean you can never speak out against slavery?

I'm not supporting or opposing their point of view and actions here, but I do believe it is perfectly reasonable to take a stand against something you consider immoral or unfair.

My own decent lifestyle (and yours) can be traced to the technological progress that led to the current unfortunate climate and ecological trajectory - that doesn't mean I can't say "this isn't right, there are things we can do better". I won't, because ultimately I'm selfish and I really don't care, but if I did care, it wouldn't be wrong of me to stand up and be vocal about it.

sapphicsnail• 2 years ago

Do you think if you explained to these protesters that the Tesla factory will stimulate the economy and that they should be grateful they would change their minds? If Germany is anything like the US, these people are willing to risk their personal safety to fight for their beliefs. Maybe you should try to understand why someone would make such a choice instead of writing them off as ill-informed?

nostromo• 2 years ago

What a terribly written article. Why they oppose the plant expansion isn't explained at all.

At the absolute end of the article, there's a few passing mentions of clearing of forrest and groundwater, but that's it.

bradhe• 2 years ago

I think that’s more a statement about the weakness of their position than it is about Deutsche Welt’s reporting in this case.

jrflowers• 2 years ago

This is a good point. If a reporter chooses to only mention in passing that the protest is about polluting drinking water then that means that drinking water pollution must not be a big deal

siganionio• 2 years ago

They are protesting because:

1. Construction will require clearcutting forest.

2. The factory will use large amounts of water and is being built in a region where water is scarce.

3. The factory will use solvents and paints which can cause groundwater pollution.

4. The local population is opposed to construction on environmental grounds, yet it seems construction will proceed anyway.

Of course, there are also people who are opposed to Tesla or the car industry in general, for both good and foolish reasons. I'd wager Musk being an outspoken anti-Semite and Nazi sympathizer doesn't go over well in Germany.

It's shitty reporting, plain and simple. Even Wired got it right.

pvg• 2 years ago

Pedantipoint but it's Deutsche Welle.

formerly_proven• 2 years ago

Why they oppose

It doesn't actually matter, these groups pop up wherever someone stacks more than two bricks on top of each other, and they always have their valid concerns (endangered hamsters, someone heard someone else might've seen a rare street pigeon brood somewhere nearby possibly, that one extra building will completely ruin the landscape etc. etc.)

probably_wrong• 2 years ago

Their linked article regarding the attempted storming of the factory has more details:

https://www.dw.com/en/protesters-attempt-to-storm-teslas-fac...

In short, and according to the article: they protest the clearing of the nearby forest, the environmental impact of lithium mines, and the car-centric policy of the German government. The fact that it's Musk's company has also been mentioned here and there, though not in this article.

srackey• 2 years ago

Interesting they don’t protest at the factory of VW, or BMW, or Mercedes, or Porsche. Maybe it’s not actually the “environment” they’re protesting for.

Rinzler897• 2 years ago

It's also interesting how they protested against nuclear for many decades but not against coal or gas, especially the one coming from Russia.

It's as if they're fueled by ideology and not reality.

Edit: yes I know they also protested against coal mining last year with that wizard, but had they kept and invested in nuclear they wouldn't have needed to revert to coal

Kon5ole• 2 years ago

They did not revert to coal: https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germanys-coal-power-pro...

bpfrh• 2 years ago

There were protests against the coal industry, but on the mining side. The first that I found was in 2008 against mining of brown coal[1].

I would argue that there are less targeted protest against coal because protest concerning climate change include being against using fossil fuels which includes brown coal.

Nuclear is a special case, as accidents have a higher risk with a bigger area affected, so there will be more people that are concerned about it(same as with having coal mined next door vs. having a power plant somewhere in your region).

[1] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagebau_Garzweiler#Protest_und...

abdullahkhalids• 2 years ago

There are more details here on why the activists oppose the action [1].

They cited the protection of water resources as their primary concern.
Part of the Tesla site is located in a so-called ‘drinking water protection area.’
The company's expansion plans for the car factory were rejected by the majority of the citizens of Grünheide. Almost two-thirds voted against the plans last week.
The vote is not legally binding, but is considered an important milestone.

[1] https://www.thelocal.de/20240229/why-are-activists-building-...

JumpCrisscross6• 2 years ago

German environmentalism is NIMBY with extra steps.

consumer4513• 2 years ago

I am not jumping into any side of the argument here, but it is worth noting that the area of "my back yard" is much smaller, and more densely packed in European countries, as compared to the seemingly endless land of the USA.

HideousKojima• 2 years ago

And unless you're pushing for anarchoprimitivism or the like, the factories building your environmentally friendly electric cars are going to have to be built somewhere. I'm reminded of an experience in high school near San Diego, where tons of people were opposed to a new (solar!) power plant out in the desert to the east and they were opposed to the high voltage power lines that would have brought power from this plant into the city. I'm sure there were other, less unhinged reasons to oppose it but the most vocal were the environmentalists opposing it because the transmission lines would interfere with some desert tortoise species habitat. Environmentalists protesting solar power is one of those hilarities that the universe just plops right on your lap sometimes.

Gibbon12• 2 years ago

Engineer I know that worked for a sterilization company said it was impossible to build a plant in Germany. Because there are three factions, businesses, labor, and greens. Business was mostly supportive. Labor wouldn't help because the factories employ like 20 people. And greens oppose because 'chemicals'

To do anything you need 2 of 3 and you only would get a half hearted, a neutral, and a vicious opposition.

cperciva• 2 years ago

German environmentalism is NIMBY combined with support for Russian fossil fuels.

mushufasa• 2 years ago

Berlin activists do this to every major American company announcing opening a presence. They did it to google a few years ago ago. https://www.wired.com/story/google-campus-berlin-protests/ . Hell, all the bouncers at the famous nightclubs specifically train to "spot the tourist" and keep them out. Especially Americans.

Activism is as much as about a community as it is about an ideology, and there's certainly a huge community of activists in Berlin who want to keep their muscles active.

y42• 2 years ago

> Hell, all the bouncers at the famous nightclubs specifically train to "spot the tourist" and keep them out. Especially Americans.

Strongly doubt this, you got any references for that?

omnimus• 2 years ago

Trying to get into the clubs is enough.

kristjank• 2 years ago

Yeah lol they're all for it as long as it's produced in a far off land with an innovative view on human rights and environmental protection.

mensetmanusman• 2 years ago

The damage the Green’s caused in Germany after their deception on nuclear has set the movement back decades.

Berlin Tesla activists say civil disobedience is only option

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