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IN PICTURES: Berlin rally for Iran draws 80,000

Some 80,000 people joined a Berlin rally Saturday in solidarity with women-led protests in Iran sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a police spokesman told AFP.

Published: 23 October 2022 10:18 CEST
Updated: 24 October 2022 09:31 CEST
Protesters hold up a placard showing Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini who died while in the custody of Iran's morality police, in a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran, in Berlin
Protesters hold up a placard showing Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini who died while in the custody of Iran's morality police, in a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran, in Berlin, Germany on October 22, 2022.(Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

“Today, thousands of people are showing their solidarity with courageous women and demonstrators in Iran,” tweeted Germany’s Green Party minister for family affairs, Lisa Paus. “We are by your side,” she added.

Some marchers joining a rally called by a women’s collective brandished slogans such as “Women, Life, Freedom” with some waving Kurdish flags.

Protesters display placards with the lettering reading 'Women, Life, Freedom' in a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran, in Berlin

Protesters display placards with the lettering reading ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ at a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran, in Berlin, Germany on October 22, 2022.(Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

Participants peacefully made their way towards the city centre in radiant autumnal sunshine, as police followed their progress from helicopters.

Iran has seen some six weeks of growing women-led protests and on Saturday, shopkeepers and factory workers went on strike as citizens react angrily to the death in custody of Amini, a 22-year-old arrested for allegedly breaching the country’s strict dress code for women.

Protesters hold up placards as they take part in a rally in berlin

Protesters hold up placards as they take part in a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran, in front of Berlin’s Victory Column. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

She died three days after falling into a coma following her arrest on September 16.

Protesters hold a banner with the name of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini who died while in the custody of Iran's morality police, during a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran, in Berlin,

Protesters hold a banner with the name of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini who died while in the custody of Iran’s morality police, during a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran, in Berlin,(Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

The protests are the biggest seen in the Islamic republic for years, harking back to 2019 rallies sparked by rocketing fuel price rises.

Young women have led the charge, removing their headscarves, chanting anti-government slogans and confronting the security forces.

a protester with the word freedom written on her forehead

A protester with the word ‘Freedom’ written on her forehead and the Iranian flag painted on her cheek shouts slogans during the Berlin rally. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group says at least 122 people — including some children — have died in the unrest.

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BERLIN

Tesla’s factory near Berlin gets approval for extension despite protests

Tesla has confirmed its plans to extend its production site outside Berlin had been approved, overcoming opposition from residents and environmental activists.

Published: 17 May 2024 08:54 CEST
Tesla's factory near Berlin gets approval for extension despite protests

The US electric car manufacturer said on Thursday it was “extremely pleased” that local officials in the town of Grünheide, where the factory is located, had voted to approve the extension.

Tesla opened the plant – its only production location in Europe – in 2022 at the end of a tumultuous two-year approval and construction process.

The carmaker had to clear a series of administrative and legal hurdles before production could begin at the site, including complaints from locals about the site’s environmental impact.

READ ALSO: Why is Tesla’s expansion near Berlin so controversial?

Plans to double capacity to produce a million cars a year at the site, which employs some 12,000 people, were announced in 2023.

The plant, which already occupies around 300 hectares (740 acres), was set to be expanded by a further 170 hectares.

But Tesla had to scale back its ambitions to grow the already massive site after locals opposed the plan in a non-binding poll.

The entrance to the Tesla factory in Brandenburg.

The entrance to the Tesla factory in Brandenburg. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Lutz Deckwerth

Their concerns included deforestation required for the expansion, the plant’s high water consumption, and an increase in road traffic in the area.

In the new proposal, Tesla has scrapped plans for logistics and storage centres and on-site employee facilities, while leaving more of the surrounding forest standing.

Thursday’s council vote in Grünheide drew strong interest from residents and was picketed by protestors opposing the extension, according to German media.

Protests against the plant have increased since February, and in March the plant was forced to halt production following a suspected arson attack on nearby power lines claimed by a far-left group.

Activists have also built makeshift treehouses in the woodland around the factory to block the expansion, and environmentalists gathered earlier this month in their hundreds at the factory to protest the enlargement plans.

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