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Chicago Tribune
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Protests against Elon Musk's purge of US government swarm Tesla showrooms
SAN FRANCISCO — Protesters against billionaire Elon Musk's purge of the U.S. government under President Donald Trump demonstrated outside Tesla dealerships throughout the U.S. and in some cities in Europe on Saturday in the latest attempt to dent the fortune of the world's richest man. The protesters were trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk's role as the head of the newly created Department of of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, where he has gained access to sensitive data and shuttered entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending. The biggest portion of Musk's estimated $340 billion fortune consists of his stock in the electric vehicle company, which continues to run while also working alongside Trump. After earlier demonstrations that were somewhat sporadic, Saturday marked the first attempt to surround all 277 of the automaker's showrooms and service centers in the U.S. in hopes of deepening a recent decline in the company's sales. By early afternoon crowds ranging from a few dozen to hundreds of protesters had flocked to Tesla locations in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota and the automaker's home state of Texas. Pictures posted on social media showed protesters brandishing signs such as ' Honk if you hate Elon ' and ' Fight the billionaire broligarchy.' As the day progressed, the protests cascaded around the country outside Tesla locations in major cities such as Washington, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Seattle, as well as towns in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado. Smaller groups of counterprotesters also showed up at some sites. 'Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go!' several dozen people chanted outside a showroom in Dublin, California, about 35 miles (60 miles) east of San Francisco, while a smaller cluster of Trump supporters waved American flags across the street. A much larger crowd circled another showroom in nearby Berkeley, chanting slogans to the beat of drums. 'We're living in a fascist state,' said Dennis Fagaly, a retired high school teacher from neighboring Oakland, 'and we need to stop this or we'll lose our whole country and everything that is good about the United States.' Anti-Musk sentiment extends beyond the U.S. The Tesla Takedown movement also hoped to rally protesters at more than 230 locations in other parts of the world. Although the turnouts in Europe were not as large, the anti-Musk sentiment was similar. About two dozen people held signs lambasting the billionaire outside a dealership in London as passing cars and trucks tooted horns in support. One sign displayed depicted Musk next to an image of Adolf Hitler making the Nazi salute — a gesture that Musk has been accused of reprising shortly after Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration. A person in a Tyrannosaurus rex costume held another sign with a picture of Musk's straight-arm gesture that said, 'You thought the Nazis were extinct. Don't buy a Swasticar.' 'We just want to get loud, make noise, make people aware of the problems that we're facing,' said Cam Whitten, an American who showed up at the London protest. Tesla Takedown was organized by a group of supporters that included disillusioned owners of the automaker's vehicles, celebrities such as actor John Cusack, and at least one Democratic Party lawmaker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Dallas. '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,' Crockett said during an organizing call this month. Another Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, showed up at a protest in Seattle, which she represents in Congress. Musk backlash has included some vandalism Some people have gone beyond protest, setting Tesla vehicles on fire or committing other acts of vandalism that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has decried as domestic terrorism. In a March 20 company meeting, Musk indicated that he was dumbfounded by the attacks and said the vandals should 'stop acting psycho.' Crockett and other Tesla Takedown supporters have been stressing the importance of Saturday's protests remaining peaceful. But police were investigating a fire that destroyed seven Teslas in northwestern Germany in the early morning. It was not immediately clear if the blaze, which was extinguished by firefighters, was related to the protests. In Watertown, Massachusetts, local police reported that the side mirror of a black pickup struck two people at a protest outside a Tesla service center, according to the Boston Herald. The suspect was promptly identified by police at the scene, who said there were no serious injuries. Musk maintains that the company's future remains bright A growing number of consumers who bought Tesla vehicles before Musk took over DOGE have been looking to sell or trade them in, while others have slapped on bumper stickers seeking to distance themselves from him. But Musk did not appear concerned about an extended slump in new sales in the March meeting, during which he reassured the workers that the company's Model Y would remain 'the best-selling car on Earth again this year.' He also predicted that Tesla will have sold more than 10 million cars worldwide by next year, up from about 7 million currently. 'There are times when there are rocky moments, where there is stormy weather, but what I am here to tell you is that the future is incredibly bright and exciting,' Musk said. After Trump was elected last November, investors initially saw Musk's alliance with the president as a positive development for Tesla and its long-running efforts to launch a network of self-driving cars. That optimism helped lift Tesla's stock by 70% between the election and Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, creating an additional $560 billion in shareholder wealth. But virtually all those gains have evaporated amid investor worries about the backlash, lagging sales in the U.S., Europe and China, and Musk spending time overseeing DOGE. '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,' Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a recent research note.
Los Angeles Times
30-03-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Protesters outraged by Elon Musk's government purge swarm Tesla showrooms
SAN FRANCISCO — Crowds protesting billionaire Elon Musk's purge of government agencies under President Trump began amassing outside Tesla dealerships throughout the U.S. and in some cities in Europe on Saturday in the latest attempt to dent the fortune of the world's richest man. The protesters are trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk's role as the head of a White House advisory panel known as the Department of of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. In that role, he has gained access to sensitive data and closed entire agencies in what he says is a mission to slash government spending. The biggest portion of Musk's estimated $340-billion fortune consists of his stock in the electric vehicle company, which he continues to run while also working alongside Trump. After earlier demonstrations that were somewhat sporadic, Saturday marked the first attempt to surround all 277 of the automaker's showrooms and service centers in the U.S. in hopes of deepening a recent decline in company sales. By early afternoon crowds ranging from a few dozen to hundreds of protesters had flocked to Tesla locations in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota and the automaker's home state of Texas. Pictures posted on social media showed protesters brandishing signs such as 'Honk if you hate Elon' and 'Fight the billionaire broligarchy.' As the day progressed, the protests cascaded around the country outside Tesla locations in major cities such as Washington, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Seattle, as well as in towns in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado. Smaller groups of counterprotesters showed up at some sites. 'Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go!' several dozen people chanted outside a showroom in Dublin, about 35 miles east of San Francisco, while a smaller cluster of Trump supporters waved American flags across the street. A much larger crowd circled another showroom in nearby Berkeley, chanting slogans to the beat of drums. 'We're living in a fascist state,' said Dennis Fagaly, a retired high school teacher from neighboring Oakland, 'and we need to stop this or we'll lose our whole country and everything that is good about the United States.' The Tesla Takedown movement also hoped to rally protesters at more than 230 locations in other parts of the world. Although the turnouts in Europe were not as large, the anti-Musk sentiment was similar. About two dozen people held signs lambasting the billionaire outside a dealership in London as passing cars and trucks tooted horns in support. One sign depicted Musk next to an image of Adolf Hitler making the Nazi salute. Musk made what appeared to be a similar gesture at a Trump event shortly after the president's Jan. 20 inauguration, though he said it was an innocent display. A person in a Tyrannosaurus rex costume held a sign with a picture of Musk's straight-arm gesture that said, 'You thought the Nazis were extinct. Don't buy a Swasticar.' 'We just want to get loud, make noise, make people aware of the problems that we're facing,' said Cam Whitten, an American who showed up at the London protest. Tesla Takedown, in the U.S. and elsewhere, was organized by a group that included disillusioned owners of the automaker's vehicles, celebrities such as actor John Cusack and at least one Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas. '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,' Crockett said during an organizing call this month. Another Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, showed up at a protest in Seattle, which she represents in Congress. Some people have gone beyond peaceful protesting, setting Tesla vehicles on fire or committing other acts of vandalism that U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi has decried as domestic terrorism. In a March 20 company meeting, Musk indicated that he was dumbfounded by the attacks and said the vandals should 'stop acting psycho.' Crockett and other Tesla Takedown supporters have been stressing the importance of Saturday's protests remaining peaceful. But police were investigating a fire that destroyed seven Teslas in northwestern Germany in the early morning. It was not immediately clear whether the blaze, which was extinguished by firefighters, was related to the protests. In Watertown, Mass., police reported that the side mirror of a black pickup struck two people at a protest outside a Tesla service center, according to the Boston Herald. A suspect was promptly identified by police at the scene, who said there were no serious injuries. A growing number of consumers who bought Tesla vehicles before Musk took over DOGE have been looking to sell or trade them in, while others have slapped on bumper stickers seeking to distance themselves from him. But Musk did not appear concerned about an extended slump in new sales in his March meeting, during which he reassured workers that the company's Model Y would remain 'the bestselling car on Earth again this year.' He also predicted that Tesla will have sold more than 10 million cars worldwide by next year, up from about 7 million currently. 'There are times when there are rocky moments, where there is stormy weather, but what I am here to tell you is that the future is incredibly bright and exciting,' Musk said. After Trump was elected in November, investors initially saw Musk's alliance with the incoming president as a positive development for Tesla and its long-running efforts to launch a network of self-driving cars. That optimism helped lift Tesla's stock by 70% between the election and Trump's inauguration, creating an additional $560 billion in shareholder wealth. But virtually all those gains have evaporated amid investor worries about the protests, lagging sales in the U.S., Europe and China, and Musk spending time overseeing DOGE. '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,' Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a recent research note. Liedtke writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Terry Chea in Berkeley, Mustakim Hasnath in London and Stefanie Dazio in Germany contributed to this report.
Politico
30-03-2025
- Automotive
- Politico
Protesters rebelling against Elon Musk's purge of US government swarm Tesla showrooms
SAN FRANCISCO — Crowds protesting billionaire Elon Musk's purge of the U.S. government under President Donald Trump began amassing outside Tesla dealerships throughout the U.S. and in some cities in Europe on Saturday in the latest attempt to dent the fortune of the world's richest man. The protesters are trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk's role as the head of the newly created Department of of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, where he has gained access to sensitive data and shuttered entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending. The biggest portion of Musk's estimated $340 billion fortune consists of his stock in the electric vehicle company, which continues to run while also working alongside Trump. After earlier demonstrations that were somewhat sporadic, Saturday marked the first attempt to surround all 277 of the automaker's showrooms and service centers in the U.S. in hopes of deepening a recent decline in the company's sales . By early afternoon crowds ranging from a few dozen to hundreds of protesters had flocked to Tesla locations in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota and the automaker's home state of Texas. Pictures posted on social media showed protesters brandishing signs such as ' Honk if you hate Elon ' and ' Fight the billionaire broligarchy .' As the day progressed, the protests cascaded around the country outside Tesla locations in major cities such as Washington, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Seattle, as well as towns in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado. Smaller groups of counterprotesters also showed up at some sites. 'Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go!' several dozen people chanted outside a showroom in Dublin, California, about 35 miles east of San Francisco, while a smaller cluster of Trump supporters waved American flags across the street. A much larger crowd circled another showroom in nearby Berkeley, chanting slogans to the beat of drums. 'We're living in a fascist state,' said Dennis Fagaly, a retired high school teacher from neighboring Oakland, 'and we need to stop this or we'll lose our whole country and everything that is good about the United States.' The Tesla Takedown movement also hoped to rally protesters at more than 230 locations in other parts of the world. Although the turnouts in Europe were not as large, the anti-Musk sentiment was similar. About two dozen people held signs lambasting the billionaire outside a dealership in London as passing cars and trucks tooted horns in support. One sign displayed depicted Musk next to an image of Adolf Hitler making the Nazi salute — a gesture that Musk has been accused of reprising shortly after Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration. A person in a Tyrannosaurus rex costume held another sign with a picture of Musk's straight-arm gesture that said, 'You thought the Nazis were extinct. Don't buy a Swasticar.' 'We just want to get loud, make noise, make people aware of the problems that we're facing,' said Cam Whitten, an American who showed up at the London protest. Tesla Takedown was organized by a group of supporters that included disillusioned owners of the automaker's vehicles, celebrities such as actor John Cusack, and at least one Democratic Party lawmaker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Dallas. '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,' Crockett said during an organizing call this month. Another Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Pramila Jaypal, showed up at a protest in Seattle, which she represents in Congress. Some people have gone beyond protest, setting Tesla vehicles on fire or committing other acts of vandalism that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has decried as domestic terrorism. In a March 20 company meeting, Musk indicated that he was dumbfounded by the attacks and said the vandals should 'stop acting psycho.' Crockett and other Tesla Takedown supporters have been stressing the importance of Saturday's protests remaining peaceful. But police were investigating a fire that destroyed seven Teslas in northwestern Germany in the early morning. It was not immediately clear if the blaze, which was extinguished by firefighters, was related to the protests. In Watertown, Massachusetts, local police reported that the side mirror of a black pickup struck two people at a protest outside a Tesla service center, according to the Boston Herald . The suspect was promptly identified by police at the scene, who said there were no serious injuries. A growing number of consumers who bought Tesla vehicles before Musk took over DOGE have been looking to sell or trade them in, while others have slapped on bumper stickers seeking to distance themselves from him. But Musk did not appear concerned about an extended slump in new sales in the March meeting, during which he reassured the workers that the company's Model Y would remain 'the best-selling car on Earth again this year.' He also predicted that Tesla will have sold more than 10 million cars worldwide by next year, up from about 7 million currently. 'There are times when there are rocky moments, where there is stormy weather, but what I am here to tell you is that the future is incredibly bright and exciting,' Musk said. After Trump was elected last November, investors initially saw Musk's alliance with the president as a positive development for Tesla and its long-running efforts to launch a network of self-driving cars . That optimism helped lift Tesla's stock by 70 percent between the election and Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, creating an additional $560 billion in shareholder wealth. But virtually all those gains have evaporated amid investor worries about the backlash, lagging sales in the U.S., Europe and China, and Musk spending time overseeing DOGE. '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,' Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a recent research note.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Anti-Musk protesters aiming to ‘take down Tesla' gather outside dealerships
Crowds protesting against billionaire Elon Musk's purge of the US government under President Donald Trump began amassing outside Tesla dealerships throughout the US and in some cities in Europe on Saturday in the latest attempt to dent the fortune of the world's richest man. The protesters are trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Mr Musk's role as the head of the newly created Department of of Government Efficiency (Doge) where he has gained access to sensitive data and shuttered entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending. The biggest portion of Mr Musk's estimated 340 billion US dollar fortune consists of his stock in the electric vehicle company, which continues to run while also working alongside Mr Trump. After earlier demonstrations that were somewhat sporadic, Saturday marked the first attempt to surround all 277 of the carmaker's showrooms and service centres in the US in hopes of deepening a recent decline in the company's sales. By early afternoon, crowds ranging from a few dozen to hundreds of protesters had flocked to Tesla locations in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota and the carmaker's home state of Texas. Pictures posted on social media showed protesters brandishing signs such as 'Honk if you hate Elon' and 'Fight the billionaire broligarchy.' As the day progressed, the protests cascaded around the country outside Tesla locations in major cities such as Washington, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Seattle, as well as towns in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado. Smaller groups of counter protesters also showed up at some sites. At a protest in Berkely, California, Dennis Fagaly, a retired high school teacher from Oakland, said: 'We're living in a fascist state and we need to stop this or we'll lose our whole country and everything that is good about the United States.' The Tesla Takedown movement also hoped to rally protesters at more than 230 locations in other parts of the world. Although the turnouts in Europe were not as large, the anti-Musk sentiment was similar. A growing number of consumers who bought Tesla vehicles before Mr Musk took over Doge have been looking to sell or trade them in, while others have slapped on bumper stickers seeking to distance themselves from him. But Mr Musk did not appear concerned about an extended slump in new sales in the March meeting, during which he reassured the workers that the company's Model Y would remain 'the best-selling car on Earth again this year.' He also predicted that Tesla will have sold more than 10 million cars worldwide by next year, up from about 7 million currently.
CBS News
29-03-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Protesters rally against Elon Musk at Tesla showrooms over the continued U.S. government purge
Crowds protesting billionaire Elon Musk's purge of the U.S. government under President Trump began amassing outside Tesla dealerships throughout the U.S. and in some cities in Europe on Saturday in the latest attempt to dent the fortune of the world's richest man . The protesters are trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk's role as the head of the newly created Department of of Government Efficiency , or DOGE, where he's gained access to sensitive data and shuttered entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending. Most of Musk's estimated $340 billion fortune consists of the stock he holds in the electric vehicle company that he continues to run while also working alongside Mr. Trump. Earlier protests have been somewhat sporadic. Saturday marked the first attempt to surround all 277 of the automaker's showrooms and service centers in the U.S. in hopes of deepening a recent decline in the company's sales. By early afternoon, crowds ranging from a few dozen to hundreds of protesters had flocked to Tesla locations in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota and the automaker's home state of Texas. Pictures posted on social media accounts showed protesters brandishing signs such as "Honk if you hate Elon" and "Fight the billionaire broligarchy." The Tesla Takedown movement also hoped to rally protestors at more than 230 Tesla locations in other parts of the world. Although the turnouts in Europe weren't as large as the crowds in the U.S., the anti-Musk sentiment was similar. About two dozen protesters held signs lambasting Musk outside a Tesla dealership in London as passing cars and trucks tooted horns in support. One of the signs displayed at the London protest showed a photo of Musk next to an image of Adolf Hitler making the Nazi salute — a gesture that Musk has been accused of reprising shortly after Mr. Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration. A person in a tyrannosaurus rex costume held another sign with a picture of Musk's straight-arm gesture that said, "You thought the Nazis were extinct. Don't buy a Swasticar." "We just want to get loud, make noise, make people aware of the problems that we're facing," said Cam Whitten, an American who showed up at the London protest. Tesla Takedown was organized by a group of supporters that included disillusioned owners of the automaker's vehicles, celebrities such as actor John Cusack, and at least one Democratic Party lawmaker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Dallas. "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," Crockett said during a Tesla Takedown organizing call held earlier this month. In New York City, mayoral hopeful and New York state Rep. Zohran Mamdani joined protesters at a Tesla showroom on Saturday. "We are here in a moment that demands all of us," Mandani told the crowd through a megaphone. "It demands all of us because the richest man in the world has purchased the president of the United States." Some people opposed to Musk have gone beyond protests and set the automaker's vehicles on fire and committed other acts of vandalism that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has decried as "nothing short of domestic terrorism." Musk indicated he was dumbfounded by the attacks during a March 20 company meeting and said the vandals should "stop acting psycho." Crockett and other Tesla Takedown supporters have been stressing the importance for Saturday's protests to remain peaceful. But police were investigating a fire that destroyed seven Tesla vehicles in northwestern Germany early Saturday morning. It was wasn't immediately clear if the blaze, which was extinguished by firefighters, was related to the Tesla Takedown protests. There have been vandalisms at Tesla dealerships acrossing the U.S., including fires in Nevada and Missouri, and graffiti at locations in Massachusetts and Maryland, CBS News previously reported. Since January 2025, incidents targeting Tesla EVs have occurred in at least nine states, according to a joint intelligence bulletin issued by the Department of Homeland Security and FBI and obtained by CBS News. Although U.S. intelligence suggests lone actors are behind them, Trump administration officials are promising to crack down on what they say are coordinated attacks. There have also been reports of vandalism to parked Teslas, making individual owners nervous. "My wife cautions me, 'Be careful where you are at with it,'" Bill Fonte told CBS New York . "If you don't like the product, don't buy it. But they're going above and beyond, creating panic and concern for normal people like me." A growing number of consumers who bought Tesla vehicles before Musk took over DOGE have been looking to sell or trade in their cars while others have slapped on bumper stickers seeking to distance themselves from the billionaire's efforts to prune or shut down government agencies. But Musk didn't appear concerned about an extended slump in sales of new Tesla cars in his March 20 address to employees. He reassured the workers that the company's Model Y, which is undergoing a refresh, would remain "the best-selling car on Earth again this year." He also predicted Tesla will have sold more than 10 million cars worldwide by next year, up from about 7 million cars now. "There are times when there are rocky moments, where there is stormy weather, but what I am here to tell you is that the future is incredibly bright and exciting," Musk said. After Mr. Trump was elected last November, investors initially saw Musk's alliance with the president as a positive development for Tesla and its long-running efforts to launch a network of self-driving cars. That optimism helped lift Tesla's stock by 70% in the period between Mr. Trump's Nov. 5 election and his Jan. 20 inauguration, creating an additional $560 billion in shareholder wealth. But virtually all those gains have evaporated amid investor worries about the Tesla backlash, lagging sales in the U.S., Europe and China, and Musk spending time overseeing DOGE. "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," Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a research note leading up to Saturday's protests.
