Following an arson attack that knocked out power to a Tesla factory and parts of Berlin, a left-wing terror group is claiming responsibility for the attack.
The arson attack against a high-voltage electricity pylon, which occurred just outside Berlin inside the state of Brandenburg, led to a power outage at the Tesla Gigafactory and a halt to all production.
“Together we are bringing Tesla to its knees. Switch off for Tesla. Greetings to everyone on the run, in the underground in prisons and in the resistance! Love and strength to all Antifa,” read the letter published in the German media.
Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) spoke with alarm about the action, saying: “Attacks on our critical infrastructure are a form of terrorism.”
Following the power outage, which first began at 5:00 a.m., the factory was cleared of employees.
“The nearby small town of Erkner and parts of Berlin” are also affected by the power outage, according to a spokesman for the district responsible for power in the area.
Firefighters attempted to put out the fire, which was burning in an open field near an electricity pylon, but the firefighters were forced to leave the area after reading a sign posted on an activists’ tent that warned explosives were buried in the area.
Police were forced to call an explosive ordinance team to the area to search the field and declare it safe before firefighters were given the clear to put out the blaze.
The same group claimed responsibility for an attack against a high-voltage power line in the same area three years ago during the construction phase of the Tesla plant.
The area has seen approximately 100 left-wing demonstrators participating in the “Stop Tesla” protests since last Thursday. They are occupying the forest near the factory until March 15.
