Grunheide Forest, Germany – At 8am on a morning in late November, on the outskirts of Berlin-Brandenburg, lots of of cops have entered the Grunheide Forest, which has been occupied by activists from the “Cease Tesla” motion because the finish of February.

The realm, known as the “water forest occupation” has been the main target of a battle towards enlargement plans for Tesla’s gigafactory – its fourth on this planet and the primary in Europe – which environmentalists say is inflicting irreparable harm to native water reserves in a area already affected by drought.

Tesla’s manufacturing facility, which already spans 300 hectares (741 acres), produces simply lower than 4,000 electrical vehicles per week – or about 190,000 per yr. The enlargement plans, that are on maintain in the meanwhile due to “low demand”, in accordance with Tesla”, would allow the ability to extend manufacturing to 1 million electrical autos per yr on a website some 100 hectares (247 acres) bigger than it’s now.

In 2023, Tesla was the second-largest electrical car (EV) firm globally, promoting greater than 1.8 million autos. The Tesla Mannequin Y, which can also be produced within the German manufacturing facility, was indisputably the best-selling automobile worldwide, attaining gross sales of greater than 1.2 million in 2023.

This morning – November 18 – the police have issued three warnings by way of loudspeakers, ordering protesters to vacate the world within the forest. Geared up with climbing gear, the police have begun evicting individuals from the more-than-20 treehouses that the activists have constructed right here since February.

The municipality of Grunheide has made use of a wartime ordinance order to clear them out – an order has been given to seek for unexploded bombs from the second world struggle.

Karolina Drzewo, spokesperson for “Tesla den Hahn abdrehen” (“Flip off Tesla’s Faucet”), is among the many first to be faraway from the treehouses. She tells Al Jazeera, “The suitable to assemble, which has at all times been upheld on this forest, is being suppressed, and Elon Musk’s will is being supported beneath a flimsy pretext.

“In actuality, the ordinance would solely pose a hazard if deep excavation had been to start for the manufacturing facility’s enlargement. We’re right here to guard this forest and its water, which is why we refuse to cooperate with the authorities. That is only the start: we’ll reclaim the forest and cease Tesla from taking up this land.”

Through the 9 months that it was “occupied”, the Grunheide Forest turned residence to lots of of individuals – some for a couple of days at a time, whereas others remained for months – and is described as “an area for dwelling and activism”.

However inside three days, all occupants may have been evicted from the forest and 18 individuals may have been arrested; floor constructions – which served as assembly locations and communal areas, in addition to treehouses, are fully destroyed.

Pressure had already been palpable weeks earlier, with regulation enforcement autos ceaselessly parked on the highway exterior the forest.

The protesters had been dwelling collectively in a single group right here. One among them, recognized solely as “Max” and outfitted with climbing gear and a walkie-talkie able to act in case of an eviction alert, spoke to Al Jazeera earlier than the evictions happened. “I’m right here as a result of, in a single place, we’re opposing many points akin to inexperienced capitalism, extractivism within the World South, patriarchy, racism, and the plans of a rich and highly effective particular person like Elon Musk,” they stated.

“I really feel secure within the forest and love the group and welcome for who I’m. We attempt to stay the utopia we need to see in society whereas confronting a mannequin that’s destroying the world.”

However, stress was operating excessive within the lead-up to the evictions, because the occupants defended not solely the native ecosystem but in addition very important reserves of ingesting water.

‘A large injustice’

The native resistance to Tesla’s plans by Grunheide residents started in 2020 following the announcement of the development of Tesla’s manufacturing facility. Manu Hoyer, 64, co-founder of the Grunheide residents’ initiative, is gazing thoughtfully from the balcony of her house in Grunheide which overlooks the Spree River as she shares her issues.

“This area is likely one of the driest in all of Germany, and local weather change is worsening the results yr by yr,” she says. “There’s little rain, and whereas there are numerous lakes, they’re floor waters, not aquifers or underground reserves. Folks right here have at all times been taught to not water lawns or flower beds in the summertime to avoid wasting water. But, the richest man on this planet, Elon Musk, can extract 1.8 million cubic meters (63.5 cubic ft) of water a yr and pollute the groundwater in a protected space. To me, it’s incomprehensible.”

Hoyer and the residents’ initiative have held protests and gone door to door, distributing flyers to boost consciousness concerning the difficulty. In a non-binding native referendum held in February, 65 % of residents of the close by city of Grunheide stated they opposed Tesla’s enlargement plans.

Objectors are usually not simply motivated by environmental issues, they are saying, but in addition by issues about inequality inside the world financial mannequin that Tesla represents.

“With the extraction of lithium and cobalt, the World South is being exploited to supply electrical vehicles for the World North. It’s an enormous injustice,” says Hoyer. “My views on electrical mobility have fully modified. After many discussions and studying articles and books, I’ve realised it’s not the answer. We have to broaden public transport, not construct extra SUVs and electrical vehicles.”

Water is overused and polluted within the manufacturing of shopper items, she says.

The problem has given rise to an alliance between residents and the local weather activists dwelling among the many pines. Over time, this connection has been strengthened via joint occasions, akin to month-to-month forest walks and shared issues concerning the space’s water basins.

Earlier than the evictions happened, one protester within the forest advised Al Jazeera whereas sitting on a self-built bench produced from reclaimed supplies, “It appears to be like like a forest occupation, however it’s actually extra of a water occupation as a result of what we’re combating for is the water. After all, we’re additionally combating for this ecosystem, however the primary factor we’re combating for is groundwater.”

One other longtime resident of the occupation, named Elster, stated, “I studied environmental engineering for my bachelor’s [degree] and environmental schooling for my grasp’s, specializing in local weather disaster points.

“There are numerous causes to occupy this forest. First, to avoid wasting the forest itself. They need to lower it down simply to broaden Tesla’s manufacturing facility.”

Gesturing to the environment, Elster added, “The Brandenburg Forest is particular – it’s not a monoculture however a forest with vital biodiversity, on its strategy to changing into climate-resilient.”

Elster emphasised the broader implications: “This isn’t only a native difficulty however a worldwide one, in regards to the impacts of electrical vehicles and batteries, and the best way lithium in Latin America, cobalt from Congo, and lots of different supplies are extracted. We’ve tried to boost consciousness about anti-colonial points with exhibitions, occasions, screenings within the forest, and thru social media.”

Earlier than the police intervention, treehouses and vibrant banners might be seen via the pine timber, with messages akin to “Water is a human proper” and “Palms off Congo”. Activists say they help each native and world struggles, together with the mining of minerals important for electrical car batteries in international locations within the World South. Cobalt, as an illustration, is a vital uncooked materials mined in Congo, the place situations for staff and native persons are poor.

A conflict between competing visions

The German Tesla manufacturing facility has confronted controversy since its opening in March 2022. Among the many points reported by IG Metall, the employees’ union, are security issues and overwhelming workloads for its 12,000 staff, with many stating they’re handled as “robots, not people” in accordance with an investigation by Stern, a German journal.

Then, there was the March 2024 sabotage of Tesla’s electrical grid, claimed by the far-left activist group Vulkangruppe that halted manufacturing for almost per week. In Might, greater than 800 activists staged per week of protests near the manufacturing facility, combining direct motion with workshops and ecological group conferences.

Because of this, Grunheide Forest has turn into a flash level for a broader conflict between competing visions: one in every of fast industrial enlargement, pushed by billionaires like Elon Musk and the guarantees of a “world inexperienced transition”; and the opposite of localised resistance advocating for socio-ecological alternate options. The place this battle will finish is unclear.

One factor is obvious, nevertheless. The eviction of the activists has not silenced the resistance. Simply three days after the operation, opponents to Tesla’s enlargement plans organised a symbolic “forest stroll” that includes Carola Rackete, an activist and Member of the European Parliament. She emphasised the worldwide stakes, warning of Musk’s growing affect – particularly given his position in Donald Trump’s upcoming US administration.

Rackete known as for sustained resistance to Tesla as a part of a broader confrontation with world energy dynamics.

Grunheide Forest now stands as a logo that transcends nationwide borders, intertwining native, nationwide, and world points within the struggle towards local weather injustice and unchecked industrial enlargement.