BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday evening to protest a more than $2 billion investment in Big Rapids— a new battery plant.
“We have some major concerns about the ecological actions and also the ties back to companies overseas,” Isaiah Davison, an event organizer, told FOX 17 at the protest.
The Midwesterner, a conservative outlet, recently wrote that the company Gotion is a Chinese manufacturer that has ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
“We love Michigan and they, they just want to put communism in our backyard and we’re just not okay with it,” Patti McKenzie, who lives nearby, said.
“I don’t think that’s something we want to invite into our backyards,” Brooke Whipple, who lives nearby, added.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the plant last fall. Workers there would build batteries for electric cars.
Gotion promised an initial investment of $2.3 billion and 2,300 jobs. The average salary would be $45,000 annually, which is around the average pay in Mecosta County.
READ MORE: Whitmer, MEDC announce new battery plant in Big Rapids, 2,000+ new jobs
Since then, the Michigan House Appropriations Committee voted to approve $175 million for the project.
READ MORE: MI House committee approves $500M+ for battery plants
Michigan businessman and presidential hopeful Perry Johnson showed his support for Wednesday evening’s protesters.
“I think we have to be concerned about China,” Johnson told FOX 17. “I think all of America has to recognize that we have a huge problem here and the last thing in the world we want to do is give them an opportunity here to go and build this factory.”
The vice president of Gotion North America recently put out a statement saying the company has no ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the company is not influenced by any political party.
Here is the full statement from VP Chuck Thelen:
Gotion News Release by WXMI on Scribd
Despite that statement, community members still fear what could happen if the factory comes to Big Rapids.
Davison says there would be a potential hazard if the chemicals used to make the batteries were to catch on fire.
“If it does because it’s next to impossible without some of these chemicals. Lithium is one of them that just catches and it just goes,” he added.
FOX 17 reached out to Gotion for comment but has not heard back.
