Tesla faces backlash as protests erupt over Musk’s role in Trump’s policies
Photo: American billionaire Elon Musk (Getty Images)
Protests against billionaire Elon Musk are gaining momentum in the United States and Europe. Demonstrators are picketing Tesla showrooms in response to Musk’s role in the reforms of US President Donald Trump, according to CNN.
On Saturday, demonstrators gathered at more than 50 Tesla showrooms across the United States to protest the role of Elon Musk in downsizing government institutions.
The protests are part of a "Tesla Takedown" movement, which aims to persuade stakeholders to sell their Teslas, drop their shares in the company, and join the pickets.
Tesla dealership in Superior, CO. People are fired up!#Musk @elonmusk #doge #teslaprotest #TeslaTakedown #Trump #Tesla pic.twitter.com/stTWw9SZC5
— Ed O'Malley (@EdwardOMalley) March 1, 2025
Alex Winter, an actor and director from Los Angeles who is one of the protest's main organizers, stated that the movement’s primary goal is to force Tesla shareholders to vote for a motion of no confidence against Musk.
It is worth noting that the first protest under the "Tesla Takedown" movement took place on February 15, after Winter had discussions with Joan Donovan, a sociologist, and Boston University professor, who suggested protesting against Tesla through Bluesky, an alternative platform to Musk’s X.
Musk's role in US government downsizing
It should be recalled that US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who currently heads the Department of Government Efficiency, are working to reduce federal spending in the presidential administration.
Musk’s role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency has been under criticism from the start, particularly due to his proposals for federal employees to buy out positions, mass layoffs, USAID's dissolution, and attempts to access sensitive payment systems.
RBC-Ukraine previously reported that Musk’s department led efforts to eliminate the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which is a key mechanism for providing American foreign aid and a critical tool of US "soft power" to gain influence abroad.
The Department also cut the US Department of Education's budget by over $900 million.
Furthermore, under this initiative, even the Pentagon announced a reduction of 5,400 jobs.
The "Tesla Takedown" movement is now gaining popularity in the United States and other countries.
On Friday, a protest took place in Barcelona, and for the weekend, three additional protests were planned in London, Lisbon (Portugal), and Reykjavik (Iceland).
