Anti-Tesla protests gain momentum amid anger at Musk’s DOGE cuts

WASHINGTON: Protests have erupted outside Tesla stores across the United States, as demonstrators speak out against CEO Elon Musk and his advocacy for government spending cuts in collaboration with President Donald Trump.

The demonstrations reflect a growing wave of discontent in both North America and Europe regarding Musk’s influential role in Washington. Critics of both Trump and Musk aim to discourage the purchase of Tesla cars and tarnish the automaker’s reputation.

Liberal groups have been instrumental in organizing these anti-Tesla protests, aiming to rally opposition to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and energize Democrats still reeling from Trump’s victory in November. Nathan Phillips, a 58-year-old ecologist from Newton, Massachusetts, who participated in the Boston protest, said: “We can get back atElon. We can impose direct economic damage on Tesla by showing up at showrooms everywhere and boycotting Tesla and telling everyone else to get out, sell your stocks, sell your Teslas.”

Musk, guided by Trump, is advocating for significant reductions in federal spending and workforce, saying that Trump’s victory grants them a mandate to restructure the US government. Officials from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have swiftly gained access to sensitive databases, initiated thousands of federal job cuts, terminated contracts, and shut down agencies, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Musk’s critics say his actions defy Congress’s power to control the US budget and present a host of ways for him to enrich himself. Musk leads several other companies, notably SpaceX, which conducts launches for NASA and the intelligence community, and the social media platform X. Tesla and the White House did not respond to emailed requests for comment Saturday.

More than 50 demonstrations were listed Saturday on the website Tesla Takedown, with more planned later in March from coast to coast in the United States along with England, Spain and Portugal. News reports showed demonstrations in recent days in U.S. cities including Tucson, Arizona; St. Louis; New York City; Dayton, Ohio; Charlotte; and Palo Alto, California.

Some Tesla owners have also reported their vehicles vandalized with spray painted swastikas amid what Jewish groups and observers fear is a rise in antisemitism. Federal prosecutors charged a woman in connection with a string of vandalism against a Colorado Tesla dealership, which included Molotov cocktails being thrown at vehicles and the words “Nazi cars” spray painted on the building.

Saturday’s demonstration in Boston had a festive atmosphere, with a brass band playing music as protestors carried signs and chanted. Several of the signs mocked Musk and DOGE, with one reading: “Stop Elon and his despicable Muskrats.”

“This government led by Trump and Musk, it’s gone completely off the rails and we are here to stop that,” said Carina Campovasso, a retired federal worker. “And I hope they listen.” About 300 demonstrators protested at a Tesla dealership in New York City on Saturday. Police said nine people were taken into custody but did not elaborate on the charges they faced.