CDU: Millions spent on police operations during Tesla demonstration.
During the recent protests against the American electric car maker Tesla, the cost for the police operation was estimated to be high by the Brandenburg CDU. "We're guessing a sum that's in the high single-digit or low double-digit millions," said the CDU parliamentary group leader Jan Redmann.
Over 1,000 law enforcement officers from across Germany also contributed to the expenses. The final cost is yet to be determined. Redmann proposed giving the police more legal options, including video surveillance and using artificial intelligence to identify troublemakers early on.
Approximately 2,000 activists gathered at the factory in Grünheide near Berlin from Wednesday to Sunday, voicing concerns about potential environmental hazards that Tesla disputes. The police sent up to 1,500 officers from 13 different countries to manage the situation. Clashes between the protesters and the police did occur during the operation. A total of 23 people were arrested, while 27 law enforcement officers were injured. On Friday, activists made an attempt to enter the factory property, but were stopped by the police.
Since February, climate activists have set up a camp with various tree houses near the car plant. The police are seeking to take down these tree houses, and a legal battle is currently underway.
The SPD in the Brandenburg state parliament has urged the demonstrators to dismantle their forest protest camp due to the elevated risk of forest fires. "Given the current highest risk of forest fires, it would also be responsible for us to appeal to the demonstrators to take responsibility and leave the forest," said the SPD parliamentary group leader Daniel Keller. He cited cooking in the forest as one of the dangerous practices.
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- The Brandenburg CDU criticized the significant costs associated with the policemen deployed during the Tesla protest, estimateing it to be in the millions.
- Despite the high costs, over 1,000 policemen from various German regions joined the police operation to manage the Tesla protest, which involved clashes and arrests.
- The CDU parliamentary group leader, Jan Redmann, suggested providing policemen with more legal tools, such as video surveillance and AI, to identify and prevent potential issues during future protests.
Source: www.ntv.de
