The protests were ignited by Musk’s actions as head of the recently formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has obtained sensitive information and closed down entire government agencies in an effort to reduce government expenditures.
On Saturday, protestors against billionaire Elon Musk’s takeover of the US government under President Donald Trump assembled outside Tesla car shops in the US and parts of Europe. The protests were the target of increasing pressure on Tesla and undermining Musk’s enormous wealth, which is mostly connected to the electric vehicle business.
The protests were ignited by Musk’s involvement as head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has closed entire agencies in an effort to reduce government costs and gained access to sensitive information.
Protesters aimed to increase their resistance by encircling every one of Tesla’s 277 retail locations and service centers in the United States as Tesla kept running while working with Trump. Crowds of dozens to hundreds had assembled in Tesla sites across New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota, and Texas.
Dozens of protestors outside a showroom in Dublin, California, sang, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go!” while a smaller group of Trump supporters waved American flags across the street. According to AP, a significantly bigger throng gathered around a Tesla showroom in nearby Berkeley, chanting in time with drums.
Anti-Musk sentiment is widely spreads to Europe
Approximately two dozen people congregated outside a Tesla shop in London, waving signs condemning Musk as cars and trucks honked in support. One banner showed Musk giving the Nazi salute next to a picture of Adolf Hitler. This accusation was made against Musk after Trump’s inauguration. “Don’t Buy a Swasticar. You Thought the Nazis Were Extinct.” was another sign held by a protester dressed as a Tyrannosaurus rex.
Vandalism
Some protests have turned violent beyond being peaceful. US Attorney General Pam Bondi has condemned incidents of Tesla cars being ignited and other vandalism as domestic terrorism.
Musk conveyed his confusion over the assaults during a business meeting on March 20, encouraging criminals to “stop acting psycho.”
Slumping sales
A rising number of Tesla customers have attempted to sell or trade in their automobiles since Musk took control of DOGE, with some putting bumper stickers on their cars to distance themselves from the CEO. “There are times when there are rocky moments, where there is stormy weather,” said Musk. “But what I am here to tell you is that the future is incredibly bright and exciting.”
Investors first saw Musk’s partnership with the president as a favorable development for Tesla, especially in its quest for a self-driving vehicle network, following Trump’s election last November. Between the election and Trump’s inauguration on January 20, Tesla’s shares increased by 70%, boosting shareholder wealth by $560 billion. Almost all of those gains, however, have since disappeared as a result of investors’ worries about retaliation, falling sales in the US, Europe, and China, and Musk’s engagement with DOGE.
