Protesters gathered outside the Tesla stores across the United States on Saturday to protest the carmaker’s billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, and his push to cut government spending on behalf of President Donald Trump.
The demonstrations are part of a growing setback in North America and Europe to Musk’s disturbing role in Washington.
Critics of Trump and Musk hope to deter and stigmatize the purchase of Tesla, the electric car company, the world’s most valuable car manufacturer. Liberal groups for weeks have organized anti-terla protests in the hope of galvanizing opposition to Musk’s government-efficiency department and energizing Democrats still demoralized by Trump’s victory in November.
“We can get back on Elon,” said Nathan Phillips, a 58 -year -old Ecologist from Newton, Massachusetts, who protested in Boston on Saturday. “We can impose direct financial damage to Tesla by appearing in showrooms everywhere and boycott Tesla and asking everyone else to get out, sell your warehouses, sell your Teslas.”
Musk is taking directions from Trump to cut federal expenses and reducing the workforce strongly, arguing that Trump’s victory gave the president and him a mandate to restructure the US government. DOGE -EMPLIents have quickly gained access to sensitive databases, instructed thousands of federal job cuts, canceled contracts and closed sections of the government, including the US Agency for International Development.
Musk’s critics say his actions defy the power of congress to control the American budget and present a number of ways to him to enrich himself. Musk is leading several other companies, especially SpaceX, which is implementing launches for NASA and the intelligence community, and the social media platform X.
Tesla and the White House did not respond to E -Mail requests on comment Saturday.
More than 50 demonstrations were built on Saturday on the Tesla Removal website, with more planned later in March from coast to coast in the United States together with England, Spain and Portugal. News reports showed demonstrations in recent days in US cities, including Tucson, Arizona; St. Louis; New York City; Dayton, Ohio; Charlotte; and Palo Alto, California.
Some Tesla owners have also reported on their vehicles that are vandalized with spray painted swastikas in the midst of what Jewish groups and observers fear is an increase in anti -Semitism.
Federal prosecutors accused a woman in connection with a series of vandalism against a Colorado Tesla Dealer who included Molotov cocktails thrown on vehicles and the words “Nazi cars” spray painted on the building.
Saturday’s demonstration in Boston had a festive atmosphere, with a brass band that played music when protesters wore signs and song. Several of the signs mocked Musk and DOGE with a reading: “Stop Elon and his contemptible Muscrater.”
“This government led by Trump and Musk, it’s gone completely out of the rails, and we’re here to stop it,” said Carina Campovasso, a retired federal worker. “And I hope they listen.”
About 300 protesters protested against a Tesla dealer in New York City on Saturday. Police said nine people were taken into custody but did not elaborate on the charges they were facing.
Tesla’s share price has fallen by almost a third since Trump joined, though it is still higher than it was a year ago. Musk’s current net worth is estimated $ 359 billion, according to Forbes, which calculated his Net A value of 2024 as $ 195 billion.
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Cooper reported from Phoenix. Patrick Whittle contributed from Scarborough, Maine.