Organizers of the Tesla Takedown movement will hold large-scale protests against Elon Musk on March 29. More than 200 actions are planned near Tesla car dealerships, dealerships and charging stations in the US, Europe and other countries. The aim of the protests is to peacefully speak out against Elon Musk’s growing political influence and his role in cutting government spending as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Donald Trump administration, TechCrunch reports.
What began as an economic protest has now escalated into a broader political crisis. Critics of the movement — including high-ranking federal officials — have likened the protesters to vandals and even terrorists, despite organizers' repeated statements of commitment to nonviolent forms of protest.
President Trump has already called the vandalism of Tesla property "domestic terrorism" and threatened to send "terrorists" to prison in El Salvador. US Attorney General Pam Bondi has vowed to prosecute those allegedly financing or coordinating the attacks, despite the investigation pointing to "lone wolf" perpetrators. Musk himself has also accused the protesters of "committing crimes."
Tesla Takedown organizers emphasize the nonviolent nature of the movement. The goal of the protests is not to physically harm Tesla cars or Musk, but to urge people to sell their Teslas, sell their company shares, and stop buying new cars.
"The reason that [Musk] is in the position that he is in is because of his wealth," said New Jersey organizer Natasha Purdum. "We feel that if we can continue to drive that Tesla stock price down, we will hit him in the spot that it matters."
Musk, who is currently the richest person in the world, owns about 13% of Tesla. His fortune is estimated at more than $107 billion. It is with these resources that he bought Twitter for $44 billion and made it the main platform for communication with 219 million followers. He has also donated more than $260 million to political causes, including Donald Trump's campaign.