A general meeting of car giant Volkswagen was disrupted in Berlin on Wednesday. There were both climate protests in front of the building and actions in the hall. For example, a cake was thrown at Wolfgang Porsche, who represents the owner’s family. She missed her target, but startled the stage managers early on.
The criticism focused on Wolfsburg’s handling of the diesel scandal and the human rights situation in China, as well as the sale of combustion cars. VW operates a factory in China’s Xinjiang province with a joint venture. According to human rights organizations, the Uyghur Muslim minority living there is being deliberately repressed by the Beijing government. The car giant counters that there are no signs of human rights violations at the factory with 240 employees and that it takes a global stance against forced labor.
Nevertheless, the new CEO Oliver Blume (54) had to interrupt his speech on Wednesday about the ten-point plan for electromobility and networked cars. An activist loudly disrupted his lecture with a bare torso and a placard calling attention to the problems in China. That shouldn’t be the last disruption. Roads were blocked, climate protests were held in front of the Congress building.
Rarely protest directly in the hall
It is not uncommon for activists to use the environment of general meetings for their concerns. Directly in the hall, however, they are rare, also because of the security measures. “A constructive exchange is important. And a general meeting offers a good opportunity for this. With the exception of a few, everyone adheres to the rules for this,” the group said in an initial statement about the actions. About 700 shareholders attended the meeting.
Volkswagen is also currently facing criticism from some of them, including for Blume’s dual function as head of the VW group and Porsche. “The shareholders want a CEO who can fully concentrate on one task,” says Hendrik Schmidt of Deutsche Bank fund subsidiary DWS. Blume said Wednesday that no conflicts of interest were anticipated. Precautions would have been taken in this case.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
