Alright, it’s Saturday night, March 29, 2025, and the world’s on fire figuratively, mostly. Today, thousands of people hit the streets in what’s being called a “Global Day of Action” against Elon Musk and Tesla. From Los Angeles to London, Sydney to Seattle, protesters swarmed Tesla showrooms over 200 in the U.S. alone, and organizers claim up to 500 worldwide. This isn’t some random outburst; it’s the biggest flex yet from the “Tesla Takedown” movement, a grassroots push that’s been simmering since Trump took office in January. Musk’s role in slashing the U.S. government has folks riled up, and they’re aiming straight for his wallet Tesla. So, what’s driving this? How’d it go down? Let’s unpack it.
The Day It All Kicked Off
Imagine it’s Saturday morning, and you’re sipping coffee when you hear horns blaring outside a Tesla dealership. That’s what happened today across dozens of countries. In New York City, hundreds chanted “Nobody voted for Elon” outside a slick showroom in the Meatpacking District. In Austin, Texas Tesla’s HQ protesters waved signs like “Drive Tesla Out of Biz.” Down in Melbourne, Australia, ralliers kicked things off early, local time, with banners screaming “Down with DOGE.” By midday, Europe joined in London, Berlin, Paris, even Helsinki saw crowds outside Tesla spots. It’s not just a U.S. thing; this went global.
The vibe? Mostly peaceful but loud. In San Jose, California, they brought a mariachi band festive yet fierce. In St. Louis, Missouri, drivers honked as protesters held up “Honk if You Hate Elon” signs. Some spots got tense nine got nabbed in New York for storming a showroom, and London had folks gluing stickers on parked Teslas saying “Don’t Buy a Swasticar.” Organizers, though, kept it clear: no violence, no vandalism just pure, raw pressure. The goal? Hurt Tesla’s sales, tank its stock, and hit Musk where it counts.
Why Musk and Tesla?
So why’s everyone mad at Elon? It’s not about electric cars Tesla’s still the king of EVs. It’s Musk’s gig with Trump’s administration, specifically his Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Since January, he’s been Trump’s right-hand man, slashing federal jobs over 100,000 gone, some say and shutting down agencies like USAID. He’s got access to sensitive data, canceled contracts, and pushed cuts to stuff like Social Security and national parks. To protesters, he’s an unelected billionaire tearing up their government, and Tesla’s the cash cow funding it.
Musk’s wealth $359 billion, per Forbes is tied to Tesla, where he owns a 13% stake. The Tesla Takedown crew figures if they can “make Tesla toxic,” as organizer Carolanne Fry put it in Portland, they’ll kneecap his influence. “Sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join us,” their website pleads. It’s personal too some point to Musk’s Inauguration Day gesture, widely seen as a Nazi salute, and his cozying up to far-right figures like Britain’s Tommy Robinson. For folks like Vickie Mueller Olvera in the Bay Area, it’s simple: “Nobody voted for this guy, and he’s wrecking everything.”
How It Started
This didn’t come out of nowhere. Back in February, small protests popped up 50 people in Boston, a handful in Seattle. Joan Donovan, a Boston University prof, and actor Alex Winter helped spark it, but it’s decentralized local folks run the show. By early March, it was weekly, swelling each time. In Clermont, Florida a Trump stronghold Jennifer Cousins pulled 100 people to a rally. Tesla owners started joining, slapping “I Bought This Before Elon Went Crazy” stickers on their cars. Even a Cybertruck driver showed up once, Olvera said.
Today’s Global Day of Action was the big one planned for weeks, hyped on Bluesky (X’s rival) and Reddit. Organizers aimed for 500 protests; they hit at least 253, per NPR, with more uncounted. From Ireland’s “Smash the Fash” to Switzerland’s “Down with DOGE,” each spot had its flavor. It’s not top-down think of it like a viral meme, spreading city by city.
The Violent Edge
Not everyone’s keeping it chill. Since February, Tesla’s taken hits literally. Arson torched charging stations in Littleton, Massachusetts, and Loveland, Colorado, where a woman allegedly chucked Molotov cocktails and spray-painted “Nazi” on a dealership. Gunfire rattled a Tesla lot in Tigard, Oregon, and “incendiary devices” turned up in Texas. Owners like Adam Choi in Brookline, Massachusetts, found their cars stickered with Musk’s face mid-church. Mardi Gras revelers in New Orleans pelted a Cybertruck with beads and booze.
Tesla Takedown swears they’re nonviolent vandalism’s “not us,” Cousins insists. But Musk and Trump aren’t buying it. Trump’s vowed to treat it as “domestic terrorism,” promising “20-year sentences” and even floating El Salvador’s brutal jails for vandals. Musk’s called out organizers like Valerie Costa in Seattle, claiming she’s ActBlue-funded (she says nope, just $3,000 in the bank). The White House backs him spokesperson Harrison Fields said today, “Protests won’t stop DOGE.”
Tesla’s Pain
Is it working? Tesla’s feeling it. Stock’s down 48% since December’s $479.86 peak, closing at $248.71 Friday. Trade-ins for 2017-plus models tripled this month, per Edmunds 1.4% versus 0.4% last year. Sales dipped in 2024, though competition from China’s BYD and GM’s EVs factors in too. Analysts like Dan Ives at Wedbush call it a “dark brand crisis tornado” Musk’s antics are scaring off the eco-libs who loved Tesla’s green vibe. J.P. Morgan cut its price target to $120, though it’s still valued at $900 billion.
Posts on X today show Tesla owners bailing Sheryl Crow waved bye to hers on Instagram, donating the cash to NPR. Rainer Eckert in Washington’s selling his, tired of “Nazi car” notes taped to it daily. “It’s not just shouting at TVs,” Cousins told The Washington Post. “This is direct action.”
Musk and Trump Push Back
Musk’s not sweating it at least publicly. Thursday, he told Tesla staff on X to “hang on to your stock,” promising better days. He’s brushed off protests as “far-left propaganda” and hit back at vandals: “Not free speech.” Trump’s got his back last week, they did a Tesla photo-op on the White House lawn, vowing to crush the “terrorist thugs.” Attorney General Pam Bondi’s prepping charges with “severe consequences,” per Axios.
Legal fights loom too. A Maryland judge ruled Musk’s USAID shutdown unconstitutional, and 14 Democratic states sued over DOGE’s data grabs. Protesters like Costa fear crackdowns especially for non-citizens but it’s only fired them up. “He’s scared,” she wrote in The Guardian. “That’s why he’s targeting me.”
The Global Ripple
Abroad, it’s just as hot. London’s “Everyone Hates Elon” crew hacked bus stops with “Autocrat for Your Country” ads Transport for London’s yanking them. Berlin’s seen Tesla graffiti; Paris had a small rally. Australia’s protests tied Musk to Trump’s “fascist” turn. It’s not coordinated like a UN summit more like a shared vibe crossing borders. Tesla’s Berlin factory already dodged eco-activists last year; now it’s political.
What’s It Mean?
For Musk, it’s a headache. Tesla’s still king, but the shine’s fading sales, stock, reputation all wobbling. If DOGE keeps cutting Social Security’s next, per leaks he’ll stay a lightning rod. Trump’s loving the chaos, but midterms in 2026 could shift Congress, clipping DOGE’s wings. Legal wins might slow Musk too courts could demand Senate approval he doesn’t have.
For protesters, it’s a long game. “We can’t vote him out,” Donovan told The Washington Post, “so we hit his wallet.” Success isn’t clear 500 protests sound big, but Tesla’s a $900 billion beast. Still, the movement’s growing red states, blue states, even a Dallas banner saying “Store Closing: Everything Must Go!” It’s a middle finger to Musk’s unelected power.
Where’s It Headed?
Tonight, at 10:50 p.m. EDT, the dust’s settling. Protests wound down, but Tesla Takedown’s not done more’s planned. Musk’s unfazed, tweeting today about DOGE’s next target: the Pentagon. Stock might dip Monday, but Tesla’s survived worse. The real test? If sales keep sliding and shareholders bolt. For now, it’s a standoff angry crowds versus a billionaire who doesn’t blink. What’s your take—will they dent him, or is this just noise? Either way, it’s one hell of a Saturday.
The Day It All Kicked Off
Imagine it’s Saturday morning, and you’re sipping coffee when you hear horns blaring outside a Tesla dealership. That’s what happened today across dozens of countries. In New York City, hundreds chanted “Nobody voted for Elon” outside a slick showroom in the Meatpacking District. In Austin, Texas Tesla’s HQ protesters waved signs like “Drive Tesla Out of Biz.” Down in Melbourne, Australia, ralliers kicked things off early, local time, with banners screaming “Down with DOGE.” By midday, Europe joined in London, Berlin, Paris, even Helsinki saw crowds outside Tesla spots. It’s not just a U.S. thing; this went global.
The vibe? Mostly peaceful but loud. In San Jose, California, they brought a mariachi band festive yet fierce. In St. Louis, Missouri, drivers honked as protesters held up “Honk if You Hate Elon” signs. Some spots got tense nine got nabbed in New York for storming a showroom, and London had folks gluing stickers on parked Teslas saying “Don’t Buy a Swasticar.” Organizers, though, kept it clear: no violence, no vandalism just pure, raw pressure. The goal? Hurt Tesla’s sales, tank its stock, and hit Musk where it counts.
Why Musk and Tesla?
So why’s everyone mad at Elon? It’s not about electric cars Tesla’s still the king of EVs. It’s Musk’s gig with Trump’s administration, specifically his Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Since January, he’s been Trump’s right-hand man, slashing federal jobs over 100,000 gone, some say and shutting down agencies like USAID. He’s got access to sensitive data, canceled contracts, and pushed cuts to stuff like Social Security and national parks. To protesters, he’s an unelected billionaire tearing up their government, and Tesla’s the cash cow funding it.
Musk’s wealth $359 billion, per Forbes is tied to Tesla, where he owns a 13% stake. The Tesla Takedown crew figures if they can “make Tesla toxic,” as organizer Carolanne Fry put it in Portland, they’ll kneecap his influence. “Sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join us,” their website pleads. It’s personal too some point to Musk’s Inauguration Day gesture, widely seen as a Nazi salute, and his cozying up to far-right figures like Britain’s Tommy Robinson. For folks like Vickie Mueller Olvera in the Bay Area, it’s simple: “Nobody voted for this guy, and he’s wrecking everything.”
How It Started
This didn’t come out of nowhere. Back in February, small protests popped up 50 people in Boston, a handful in Seattle. Joan Donovan, a Boston University prof, and actor Alex Winter helped spark it, but it’s decentralized local folks run the show. By early March, it was weekly, swelling each time. In Clermont, Florida a Trump stronghold Jennifer Cousins pulled 100 people to a rally. Tesla owners started joining, slapping “I Bought This Before Elon Went Crazy” stickers on their cars. Even a Cybertruck driver showed up once, Olvera said.
Today’s Global Day of Action was the big one planned for weeks, hyped on Bluesky (X’s rival) and Reddit. Organizers aimed for 500 protests; they hit at least 253, per NPR, with more uncounted. From Ireland’s “Smash the Fash” to Switzerland’s “Down with DOGE,” each spot had its flavor. It’s not top-down think of it like a viral meme, spreading city by city.
The Violent Edge
Not everyone’s keeping it chill. Since February, Tesla’s taken hits literally. Arson torched charging stations in Littleton, Massachusetts, and Loveland, Colorado, where a woman allegedly chucked Molotov cocktails and spray-painted “Nazi” on a dealership. Gunfire rattled a Tesla lot in Tigard, Oregon, and “incendiary devices” turned up in Texas. Owners like Adam Choi in Brookline, Massachusetts, found their cars stickered with Musk’s face mid-church. Mardi Gras revelers in New Orleans pelted a Cybertruck with beads and booze.
Tesla Takedown swears they’re nonviolent vandalism’s “not us,” Cousins insists. But Musk and Trump aren’t buying it. Trump’s vowed to treat it as “domestic terrorism,” promising “20-year sentences” and even floating El Salvador’s brutal jails for vandals. Musk’s called out organizers like Valerie Costa in Seattle, claiming she’s ActBlue-funded (she says nope, just $3,000 in the bank). The White House backs him spokesperson Harrison Fields said today, “Protests won’t stop DOGE.”
Tesla’s Pain
Is it working? Tesla’s feeling it. Stock’s down 48% since December’s $479.86 peak, closing at $248.71 Friday. Trade-ins for 2017-plus models tripled this month, per Edmunds 1.4% versus 0.4% last year. Sales dipped in 2024, though competition from China’s BYD and GM’s EVs factors in too. Analysts like Dan Ives at Wedbush call it a “dark brand crisis tornado” Musk’s antics are scaring off the eco-libs who loved Tesla’s green vibe. J.P. Morgan cut its price target to $120, though it’s still valued at $900 billion.
Posts on X today show Tesla owners bailing Sheryl Crow waved bye to hers on Instagram, donating the cash to NPR. Rainer Eckert in Washington’s selling his, tired of “Nazi car” notes taped to it daily. “It’s not just shouting at TVs,” Cousins told The Washington Post. “This is direct action.”
Musk and Trump Push Back
Musk’s not sweating it at least publicly. Thursday, he told Tesla staff on X to “hang on to your stock,” promising better days. He’s brushed off protests as “far-left propaganda” and hit back at vandals: “Not free speech.” Trump’s got his back last week, they did a Tesla photo-op on the White House lawn, vowing to crush the “terrorist thugs.” Attorney General Pam Bondi’s prepping charges with “severe consequences,” per Axios.
Legal fights loom too. A Maryland judge ruled Musk’s USAID shutdown unconstitutional, and 14 Democratic states sued over DOGE’s data grabs. Protesters like Costa fear crackdowns especially for non-citizens but it’s only fired them up. “He’s scared,” she wrote in The Guardian. “That’s why he’s targeting me.”
The Global Ripple
Abroad, it’s just as hot. London’s “Everyone Hates Elon” crew hacked bus stops with “Autocrat for Your Country” ads Transport for London’s yanking them. Berlin’s seen Tesla graffiti; Paris had a small rally. Australia’s protests tied Musk to Trump’s “fascist” turn. It’s not coordinated like a UN summit more like a shared vibe crossing borders. Tesla’s Berlin factory already dodged eco-activists last year; now it’s political.
What’s It Mean?
For Musk, it’s a headache. Tesla’s still king, but the shine’s fading sales, stock, reputation all wobbling. If DOGE keeps cutting Social Security’s next, per leaks he’ll stay a lightning rod. Trump’s loving the chaos, but midterms in 2026 could shift Congress, clipping DOGE’s wings. Legal wins might slow Musk too courts could demand Senate approval he doesn’t have.
For protesters, it’s a long game. “We can’t vote him out,” Donovan told The Washington Post, “so we hit his wallet.” Success isn’t clear 500 protests sound big, but Tesla’s a $900 billion beast. Still, the movement’s growing red states, blue states, even a Dallas banner saying “Store Closing: Everything Must Go!” It’s a middle finger to Musk’s unelected power.
Where’s It Headed?
Tonight, at 10:50 p.m. EDT, the dust’s settling. Protests wound down, but Tesla Takedown’s not done more’s planned. Musk’s unfazed, tweeting today about DOGE’s next target: the Pentagon. Stock might dip Monday, but Tesla’s survived worse. The real test? If sales keep sliding and shareholders bolt. For now, it’s a standoff angry crowds versus a billionaire who doesn’t blink. What’s your take—will they dent him, or is this just noise? Either way, it’s one hell of a Saturday.
