Over 200 ‘Tesla Takedown’ protests take place throughout US on ‘Global Day of Action’ against Elon Musk’s role with DOGE

(CNN) — Hundreds of “Tesla Takedown” demonstrations are taking place in the United States, Canada and Europe as activists ramp up their opposition to CEO Elon Musk’s efforts to slash federal government staffing and budgets.

Since joining the Trump administration, Musk has aggressively pushed policies to reduce spending, curb regulations and downsize the workforce as the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, all while repeatedly misleading the public about federal spending.

More than 200 demonstrations are planned at US Tesla locations on Saturday as part of the “Tesla Takedown” movement, which called for a “global day of action” aiming for 500 protests worldwide. The campaign wants people to sell their Tesla vehicles and their shares of Tesla stock as a way to denounce Musk, the world’s richest man, whose wealth is overwhelmingly linked to his Tesla holdings.

“It’s unfortunate that Musk has decided to use his power and riches for negative efforts,” said Austin Naughton, who runs a Facebook page for a grassroots organization and helped publicize the Washington, DC, protest for organizers.

A demonstration that began around 11 a.m. local time outside a Tesla showroom in DC’s Georgetown neighborhood drew a crowd of over 100 people for a “Tesla Takedown Dance Party!” as it’s described on the Tesla Takedown Website. Those in attendance carried anti-Musk signs and danced to disco music as cars drove by honking in support.

James Decherd, a DC native, said he was there to show his support for federal workers.

“I’m just afraid for what kind of country this is going to be after these cuts,” Decherd told CNN. “The whole country is at risk of becoming a dystopian hellscape. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

DOGE has not slowed down in its sweeping efforts to dismantle or overhaul federal agencies. On Monday, the department attempted to shut down the United States Institute of Peace, an independent non-profit agency, and CNN reported on March 13 that DOGE had proposed cutting 20% of the staff at the Internal Revenue Service by May 15.

Since Musk’s controversial alignment with the Trump administration, Tesla has transformed from an innovative car brand to a symbol of injustice and a prime target for escalating acts of vandalism and violence.

On Thursday, authorities announced that a man suspected of setting fire to several Tesla vehicles at a repair facility in Las Vegas last week has been arrested. Paul Kim, 36, allegedly sprayed the word “RESIST” in pink paint across the front doors of a Tesla facility before shooting at multiple vehicles and using a Molotov cocktail to set them on fire, authorities said.

Although acts of violence have been unfolding for months against Tesla vehicles and facilities, including charging stations and individually owned vehicles, Tesla Takedown organizers have stressed that the demonstrations are intended to remain strictly nonviolent.

What demonstrators are saying

At the protest in Georgetown, co-organizers Sara Steffens and Melissa Knutson stood alongside other demonstrators carrying signs. They have both planned multiple protests just like this one for months.

“There’s a very serious and strategic component in what we’re doing. This is a way to say we’re not afraid,” said Knutson, who has neighbors who were recently fired in a round of DOGE cuts and have put their homes up for sale. Her daughter, who is disabled and relies on Medicaid, is another source of motivation for her, she said.

Marisa Deline told CNN that this was her first Tesla protest. Although she supports the mission of electric vehicle makers like Tesla, she doesn’t believe Musk’s values align with her own. She now plans to attend more protests and take other actions, such as supporting nonprofits and mutual aid.

“They’re not just able to do whatever they want,” Steffens said, referring to the dismantling of government agencies and lofty federal cuts. “They can pretend they can like bullies do, but they can’t have power unless we let them.”

Melanie Aron, who was also in the crowd along the road holding a sign up, has a nephew conducting studies about Alzheimer’s disease at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and saw his research funding slashed by DOGE.

“Those studies benefit American people. When we cut those off, people are going to suffer,” Aron said. “I know we tend to talk about the workers. But we need to focus on the people who are impacted when the work doesn’t happen.”

In Arlington, Virginia, Ed Grass, 56, echoes Aron’s sentiments. Grass, who has muscular dystrophy, a degenerative genetic muscle disease, was one of over 150 people who attended a protest against Musk and DOGE outside of a Tesla showroom on Saturday.

Grass, sitting in his wheelchair holding up a sign, says he worries about the future of health care research for people like him with lifelong conditions.

“There won’t be as many (medical) breakthroughs,” Grass said. “We have the jewel of the education system and they’re destroying it…It’s a long-term problem. I may be long gone but my grandchildren may suffer.”

Protesters are also concerned about people in need who live in other countries that are also now impacted by Musk and the Trump administration’s decisions to freeze foreign aid and dismantling the agency that oversees it.

Laura Plaia, 59, was also in attendance at the protest in Arlington and was recently laid off from the US Department of State where she worked in the Bureau of African Affairs.

“Our work benefits all the countries in Africa,” she said. “Trump is running the country like a company. It’s been gut wrenching for so many people. Lives have been turned upside down.”

Todd Post, 50, was laid off from the Health Services and Resources Administration on Monday. Prior to that job, he worked for the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, which was recently eliminated by the Trump administration.

“Now there are women in foreign countries not getting HIV treatment,” Post said, holding an American flag on the side of the road at the protest in Arlington. “This administration really has blood on its hands because it’s caused people to get life ending diseases as a result of their arbitrary cuts…How is that efficient?”

Alainn Hanson brought her mother from Minnesota to their first Tesla protest. Hanson hopes there will be more protests as summer approaches and believes people should speak with their dollars, especially when it comes to hurting Tesla’s valuation.

“I’m sick of billionaires trampling over working class people,” she said.

There were about 750 protesters outside of a Tesla location in Rockville, Maryland, according to a post on Bluesky. Organizers told CNN that hundreds arrived at a protest in Boston and were still trickling in after 12:30 p.m. despite the rain. Roughly 200 gathered at a location in Chicago, according to a user on Bluesky.

“I am proud of myself. Today I participated in my first protest against the Musk-Trump regime,” a Bluesky user wrote.

FBI launches task force

Both FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi have referred to anti-Tesla acts as “domestic terrorism.”

The FBI has created a task force intended to “crack down on violent Tesla attacks,” it announced Monday, following a spate of incidents appearing to target Musk’s electric car manufacturer.

The new task force will work in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate anti-Tesla attacks, FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson said in a post on X.

Anti-Tesla incidents have happened in at least nine states, the FBI said over the weekend, noting the pattern appears to be them occurring overnight and “conducted by lone offenders.”

“These incidents have involved arson, gunfire, and vandalism, including graffiti expressing grievances against those the perpetrators perceive to be racists, fascists, or political opponents,” the FBI said, asking anyone with information about these crimes to contact law enforcement.

Over the weekend, the FBI urged the public to look out for signs of a possible attack on Tesla dealerships or Tesla-related entities, including individuals surveilling or trying to break into Tesla properties or making threats against the company online.

“I do worry that we’re conflating a bunch of random acts of violence with what is a very earnest attempt by many people who’ve not really spent a lot of time in the streets protesting but feel called to action right now,” said Joan Donovan, an assistant professor of journalism and emerging media studies at Boston University who has helped organize protests.

Last weekend in Florida, protesters outside a Tesla dealership in Palm Beach County had to move out of the way of an SUV that jumped the curb and drove toward them, according to authorities.

A black SUV was seen slowing down and crept by the protesters before suddenly accelerating. The SUV almost struck people, but no one was injured, authorities said.

A Tesla employee told police the driver got out of his vehicle and then entered the showroom and said he “stands with Tesla,” according to an arrest report.

Musk responds to demonstrations and Tesla stock’s plunge

Musk has publicly discussed Tesla’s stock and the acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles and showrooms.

In a meeting on March 21 with employees that was broadcast on X, the social media platform Musk owns, he said, “there are times when there are ‘rocky’ moments,” and added, “What I’m saying is: Hang on to your stock.”

Shares of Tesla (TSLA), which closed at $263.55 on Friday, have slid 45% since December 17.

In an interview that aired Friday on Fox News, Musk responded to the backlash against Tesla, which has involved acts of vandalism that include the spray painting of vehicles and chargers. There have been no reports of injuries.

“It’s actually disadvantageous for me to be in the government, not advantageous,” Musk told Fox News host Bret Baier about his role with DOGE. “My companies are suffering because I’m in the government.”

Musk specifically referenced how the acts of vandalism have hurt Tesla’s revenue.

“Do you think it helps sales if (Tesla) dealerships are gonna be fire-bombed? Of course not,” Musk said.

CNN’s Matthew Rehbein, Hannah Rabinowitz, Javon Huynh, Zoe Sottile and Sharif Paget contributed to this report.

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