On Saturday, the Tesla Takedown movement truly sparked globally across the United States and parts of Europe. A coalition of outraged Tesla customers, celebrities, and Elon Musk’s new political enemies formed to save democracy from Elon Musk. Protesters came from all over the place to express their discontent with Musk’s recent actions. They especially drilled down into his partnership with former President Donald Trump and his recent head-of-state-like appointment to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Key advocates of this movement featured high-profile players like actor John Cusack and newly elected Democratic Dallas Rep. Jasmine Crockett. The protests were perhaps the largest concerted attempt to protest what many see as Musk’s negative impact on the functioning of government. To join the effort, participants made a pilgrimage to Tesla stores in big cities and little hamlets. They sought to upend the fortunes of the planet’s wealthiest individual, whose fortune is tethered primarily to his holdings in Tesla.
These protests were sparked by possibly the worst of Musk’s marquis access to sensitive federal government data. His proposals to drastically reduce government spending have sent shockwaves through the public and private sector. In recent months, Tesla’s stock had surged by 70% following Trump’s election, generating substantial wealth for investors. With growing alarm about slumping sales in their most important markets, at the same time, Musk has been directly responsible for a $120 billion plunge in Tesla’s stock value.
The Tesla Takedown movement went after every one of the 277 Tesla showrooms and service centers in the U.S. It was able to effectively span over 230 locations worldwide. Protesters pulled out all the stops with their creative slogans to convey their rage. They carried placards saying “Honk if you hate Elon” “Fight the billionaire broligarchy,” along with singing and shouting chants like “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go!”
While the protests were mostly peaceful, we can’t ignore the vandalism. In Watertown, Massachusetts, local authorities reported that a black pickup struck two individuals at a protest outside a Tesla service center. These types of incidents justifiably led to outrage from recently-resigned U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who labeled the actions taken against protestors as domestic terrorism.
In Dublin, California — about 35 miles east of San Francisco — hundreds showed up to protest outside a showroom. At the same time, an unrelated but enthusiastic rock throwing crew of Trump fans waved American flags from the next block over. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in London, a few dozen demonstrators expressed their concerns outside a Tesla dealership, drawing enthusiastic honks of support from passing traffic.
“We just want to get loud, make noise, make people aware of the problems that we’re facing,” – Cam Whitten
Protests soon broke out in dozens of cities around the country, including Washington D.C., Chicago and Seattle. Those successes soon proliferated to cities, towns, and counties across Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. The movement served as a wake-up call. It aimed to counterbalance Musk’s pervasive influence and spur reforms within the company.
“I’m going to keep screaming in the halls of Congress. I just need you all to make sure you all keep screaming in the streets,” – Rep. Jasmine Crockett
Come on down, Mr. Musk Market analysts have pointed out that these public demonstrations mark a pivotal moment for Musk and Tesla. Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, described this time as a “moment of truth” for Musk. He called it a “brand tornado crisis moment.”
“This continues to be a moment of truth for Musk to navigate this brand tornado crisis moment and get onto the other side of this dark chapter for Tesla,” – Dan Ives
As this wave of protests spread across the world, protestors made it clear that their grievances extended beyond Musk’s corporate moves to his partisan ties. Others escalated their dissent by committing civil disobedience that received considerable media coverage. One individual clad in a Tyrannosaurus rex costume displayed a sign that read: “You thought the Nazis were extinct. Don’t buy a Swasticar.”
While not every protest escalated, a majority of them did. The protest brought significant attention to the rising strain between Tesla’s management and its consumer base. These demonstrations were both a reflection of the current public sentiment and a demand for accountability from Musk.
