A group of climate protesters who glued themselves to the floor of a Volkswagen dealership were left in the cold and dark after staff switched off the lights and heating and went home.
The demonstrators, who said they were all scientists and members of a group calling itself Scientist Rebel, glued themselves to the floor of Autostadt adjacent to the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, to protest against climate change and demand the car manufacturer support their fight against pollution.
They said that the carmaker accepted their right to protest, but when it was time to lock up, the employees left them glued to the floor without lighting or heating. They also complained on Twitter that Volkswagen refused their requests to supply a bowl for toilet purposes and would not let them order food from the outside for delivery.
Autostadt (Car City) is a visitor attraction which features a museum, pavilions for the principal automobile brands in the Volkswagen group, a customer centre where customers can pick up new cars and take a tour through the factory, and a cinema.
Protester Gianluca Grimalda, said on Twitter: "They refused our request to provide us with a bowl to urinate and defecate in a decent manner while we are glued, and have turned off the heating. We can't order our food, we must use the one provided by Volkswagen. Lights off. Random unannounced checks by security guards with bright torches."
Scientist Rebel promotes itself as a collection of scientists "willing to tell the truth about the climate crisis, and act on it". It is demanding that Volkswagen step up in the fight against pollution.
Pictures of the demonstration were shared online and showed protesters glued to the floor in front of three Porsches. Another photo posted hours later showed the group sitting in the dark seemingly having unglued themselves.
Mr Grimalda added: "There is a real link between CO2 emissions and rising global temperatures. Decarbonisation is important, and it must happen as fast as possible because the target for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions set through Roadmap 2050 is too far off to have a meaningful impact."
Volkswagen has vowed to step up efforts towards a greener future. It has increased production of electric cars and says it is also trying to reduce "unavoidable emissions" created during the production phase as well as find ways to reduce emissions during the lifetime of the car.
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