A swarm of over 350 demonstrators took to a Tesla store located in Manhattan this past weekend, joining in the national ‘Tesla Takedown’ demonstrations aimed against Elon Musk, the billionaire and supporter of former President Donald Trump. Six arrests took place after a portion of the crowd occupied the store; reports indicate that five were due to misconduct, while one was related to resistance to arrest, obstruction of local authorities, and violation of local legislation.
Protestors in various cities across the nation, from St. Louis to Charlotte, Tucson to Palo Alto, and including metropolitan centers such as New York City and Portland, are expressing their discontent towards one unequivocal issue—the Tesla brand and its leader. These protests have zeroed in on dealerships, showrooms, charging stations, even the Cybertruck, with the intent to impede Musk’s financial gains and underline his interference with public spending programs.
‘Democracy in, oligarchs out,’ echoed the voices of the protestors at the West Village showroom in Manhattan. The end of last week saw a significant number of protestors singularly directed towards Elon Musk. The energy of the ongoing demonstrations has been escalating with every consequent gathering according to the comments from a New York state senator.
The senator further explained how the protests served as a form of release for New Yorkers. In his words, the public display of discontent would resonate with Trump and Musk, highlighting the potential harm their financial tactics could induce on the masses by debilitating government institutions.
The aforementioned national protests have varied in terms of intensity. Some manifested as a small-scale assembly of individuals aside a road near a Tesla store, where they found support in the form of vehicle horns from passing drivers. Other, more vigorous expressions of disapproval brought hundreds of people to Tesla’s main locations, such as New York City, leading to augmented police involvement and resulting detentions.
A number of Tesla owners have also chosen to express their disappointment via personal means—through the sale of their Tesla vehicles. One individual stated feeling awkward driving in his Tesla, eventually deciding to trade it in. Though some protests have remained nonviolent, there have been instances of intentional harm directed towards the brand.
Several cases have reported acts of vandalism on Tesla cars. Others involve potentially more dangerous events, including a planted Molotov cocktail near one vehicle, and firing at a Tesla dealership. Over a dozen ‘violent or destructive acts’ towards Tesla facilities have been reported since the start of the former president’s term.
Earlier in the week, a Tesla showroom in Maryland was found to be marred by graffiti a day following a demonstration. Meanwhile, a developing story in Massachusetts revealed several Tesla charging stations being intentionally set ablaze. Law enforcement is currently treating this incident with suspicion and investigations are underway.
Simultaneously, the Tesla dealership in Portland faced severe damage when a minimum of seven shots were fired, damaging three vehicles and causing damage to several windows. This took place in the latter part of last week.
In a separate incident on the same day in Boston, a man was detained on charges of slapping Musk stickers on multiple Teslas. The individual then recorded a video stating his actions were enactments of ‘free speech’. However, subsequent responses clarified that causing damage to other people’s property, or vandalism, is not a form of free speech.
Five separate groups have been identified as the potential instigators behind the ‘Tesla protests’. The protests have become more frequent ever since Trump took office, and his actions, along with his other department heads, have raised concerns.
Among the notable actions taken so far was a series of layoffs where a significant number of federal workers across the country were terminated. Additional threats were made to fire more public employees if they did not justify their roles by responding to corresponding emails.
Although protests have been diverse in their intensity and tactics, they all seem to share the central objective of expressing dissatisfaction over Musk’s relationship with federal spending programs and his contribution to employment instability in the country.
As a result of these nationwide protests, the public image of Tesla and Elon Musk has been under fierce scrutiny. Their financial and political tactics have been challenged, leading to heightened tension between the company, its supporters, and these activist groups.
The full breadth of the impact of these nationwide expressions of dissatisfaction towards Tesla and Musk is yet to be seen. At this stage, the authorities and the public alike continue to watch the situation closely, with an understanding that the discontent is widespread and could potentially shape future discourse surrounding Elon Musk’s dealings.