Global Protests Against Elon Musk are Working
Don't lose hope, join the resistance!
Doesn’t matter who you voted for this past election, Elon Musk, an immigrant billionaire who was not on the ballot, controls Donald Trump like a string puppet. People not just in the nation but globally are starting to get fed up with him and taking action.
Let’s go through some of these global protests and talk about how effective they have been.
United States
A Colorado Tesla dealership faced thousands of dollars of vandalism at the hands of accused 42-year-old Lucy Grace Nelson. She’s facing federal charges now as it is alleged that she has caused damages between $5,000 - $20,000, drawing graffiti on the dealership signs and cars, including cybertrucks. One of them even had “Nazi” spray painted on it. She is also accused of bringing four Smirnoff Ice bottles filled with gasoline and throwing them at the dealership.
A day after demonstrations at a Tesla dealership in Maryland, graffiti was discovered at the facility. The graffiti reads “no musk” with a swastika that this photo cuts out:
Multiple Tesla charging stations were intentionally set on fire in Massachusetts, and seven stations sustained heavy damage. Police are still investigating, but they seem to be stalled on leads.
A Tesla dealership in Oregon sustained multiple shattered windows and bullet holes as the building had been damaged by a protestor(s) overnight, by what appeared to be gunfire. Police have been unable to find leads on anyone or people involved thus far.
Tesla dealership in Manhattan saw hundreds of protestors this past weekend and was forced to shut down. Six people were arrested for occupying the showroom:
International Protests
In Lisbon, Portugal, dozens protested at a Tesla showroom against Elon Musk’s support for far-right parties in Europe. Musk has used X to promote far-right parties and figures in Germany, Britain, France, and Romania.
Tesla sales have crashed tremendously in Germany and China after he endorsed Germany’s far-right AfD party (which lost the recent election). In February, Tesla only delivered 1,429 new cars in Germany, down 76% from last year, when it delivered 6,000 new vehicles. January’s sales were also down 59.9%.
Some of the worst-affected markets are France, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and China. Tesla's sales dropped 51.5% from January and 49.2% year over year in Shanghai. This is the lowest sales level in China since July 2022.
In France, a Tesla showroom was set on fire, destroying 12 cars in an arson attack. It cost Tesla an estimated 700,000 euros, with eight vehicles destroyed and four others suffering immense damage.
Massive protests have also occurred in San Francisco, Boston, Florida, Seattle, Arizona, Chicago, and many other states nationwide.
Tesla's stock has plummeted 40% since the beginning of this year, and in the past 24 hours, it has declined more than 8%. This significant drop in Tesla stock price has cost the company over $500 billion in market value since its peak in December 2024.
Wrapping it up…
The growing global unrest and mounting protests against Elon Musk and his companies demonstrate that his influence is increasingly being challenged in the United States and internationally.
From acts of vandalism and violence against Tesla dealerships in various states to significant drops in sales and protests across Europe, it is clear that many people are no longer willing to accept his political stances and business practices passively.
Musk’s endorsement of far-right parties and controversial actions have had real-world consequences. His companies have faced financial setbacks, including a sharp decline in Tesla’s stock price. As the backlash continues to build, it remains to be seen how these protests and economic repercussions will shape the future of Musk’s empire and whether he will ultimately be held accountable for the damage his influence has caused.
We need a GoFundMe for the woman who was arrested.
People's anger should be channeled towards mass protests as well as boycotts, rather than violent acts of vandalism. The latter is counterproductive and won't gather much-needed support from the public.