Volkswagen's annual shareholder meeting was briefly disrupted Wednesday by protests over the company's factory in China's Xinjiang province, with a shouting, topless activist interrupting the speech by CEO Oliver Blume before she was hustled away by security personnel.
Additionally a cake-like object was thrown during a speech by board chairman Hans-Dieter Poetsch, apparently in the direction of board member Wolfgang Porsche, who represents his family's shareholding in the company, the dpa agency reported.
Photos showed a white, gooey substance resembling pastry stuck to the front of the podium behind which Porsche was sitting.
Volkswagen has said that it has found no evidence of human rights violations at its plant in China's western Xinjiang region. The Chinese government has been accused of human rights abuses against the Muslim Uyghur population in the region, including forced labor in detention camps. The U.S. State Department has described China's actions in the region as genocide.
Police also stopped an attempt by climate protesters to glue themselves to the ground on the square outside the meeting.
The shareholder meeting in Berlin resumed after a brief intermission.
Angelo Zino, Senior Vice President and Technology Equity Research Analyst at CFRA, breaks down Big Tech earnings, AI spending, and what's next for the Mag 7.
Big Tech is pouring billions into AI. Ray Wang, CEO of Constellation Research, explains what Meta and Microsoft's earnings reveal about those investments.
Morningstar equity analyst Nicolas Owens explains Boeing's latest earnings, deliveries, rising fuel costs, and what they mean for airlines and investors.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is more than just a tournament. With over 6.5 million fans expected to attend, it's become one of the world's largest economic events.
Variety Senior TV Editor Brian Steinberg breaks down media mergers, streaming, cord-cutting, and the biggest trends reshaping the future of television.
