Around 90 protesters from the Gainesville community lined North Main Street in front of the Tesla dealership on Saturday with signs representing various stances on Elon Musk, President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The demonstration—organized in part by Badass Feminists Gainesville—was one installment of an ongoing, weekly series of local and nationwide “Takedown Tesla” protests that have been occurring outside of Tesla showrooms since February.
“Tesla Takedown” protesters are calling for Saturday, March 29, to be the movement’s largest demonstration yet, aiming for at least 500 protests at Tesla dealerships around the world.
Some of the most frequent topics raised at Saturday’s protest included DOGE’s access to the National Institutes of Health’s finances, measures intending to restrict social security spending, and cutting USAID to Africa.
“The main reason is [Musk] has no business being in our government and doing things that are hurting not only Americans but killing people in [other countries] that were supposed to get food and medicine,” said a protester named Chris.
Chris and most of the protesters declined to give their last names to Mainstreet.
Various signs posted messages such as “Musk=Nazi,” “DOGE has no constitutional standing,” and “Defend democracy, impeach Elon,” while cars passing by either honked in support or shouted opposing views such as “Go, Elon.”
One woman walked around to protesters giving away teal T-shirts emblazoned with the Ukrainian flag, which she made for $7.95 each. She was accepting donations, because she said she paid for the shirts out of her own pocket.
Some participants wanted the event to negatively impact Tesla stock, but they remained peaceful and did not harm Tesla vehicles or the dealership. This week, ABC News reported that Tesla shares have lost nearly 50% percent of their value since peaking in December 2024. The company has seen a recent uptick in vandalism, and President Trump recently called Tesla protesters terrorists.
“The one thing we can do that has an effect is to destroy Tesla,” said protester Maggie MacDonald, who held a sign with a Tesla Cybertruck labeled “swasticar” on it. “I feel sorry for whoever runs this [dealership]. But look at all the people’s lives that Musk has destroyed, all the children around the world that he murdered by cutting off food and medicine. The richest man in the world is stealing food out of the mouths of the poorest children.”
One counter-protester wearing a “Navy veteran” sweatshirt pulled over to confront the protesters and said “liberals” used to support electric vehicles. An anti-Musk protester responded, “You weren’t in the Navy—you were in the Girl Scouts,” and threatened to call the police.
Another protester wearing a Badass Feminists Gainesville shirt did call the police on an anti-protester known as “Ted the Atheist” wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, padding, body cameras and a microphone sound system projecting pro-Musk statements.
“I’m out here because I care about the truth,” Ted said. “Not many people use that as their foundation.”
One counter-protester named John said that since climate change is the most dire threat to the world, people should respect Musk—who he said has done more to transition the world to electric vehicles—regardless of whether or not they agree with what he does politically.
“Tesla is the best vehicle we’ve ever owned. It’s brought us so much joy,” he said. “I feel like I live in a crazy world because I would have been with these people all a year ago, and they’ve just lost their minds. If anything, they’re just helping all these dealerships that are selling internal combustion engines.”
Chris said that liberals aren’t against electric cars, but they’re against what Musk stands for, and Tesla represents that.
“A lot of people seem to think, ‘Oh you liberals used to be [into] these electric cars,’” she said. “We’re still into electric cars. There’s other choices. Not this one whose CEO is trying to take our country down and destroy the government.”
John also pointed to a sign at the protest with a picture of Nintendo’s Luigi on it, a symbol referring to UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murderer Luigi Mangione. He said the image implies that Musk should be murdered, and it represents the culture’s current divisive climate.
“You can disagree with somebody, but that’s like [too] far,” he said. “I hope most people here would also disagree with that. But the fact that that’s here is crazy.”
“Luigi, it’s a sign of resistance,” said the woman holding the sign. “That’s as much as I’m going to say.”
The Tesla dealership on site of the protest declined to comment.
Well this should be fun next weekend!
They don’t represent most voters — and citizens. Grow up, hippies.
They are responsible citizens, not hippies.
No, they are paid activists! Where were they found? Pikelball court at AC Senior Center probably! Anything for a buck!
Evidence? Receipts?
Cancel culture is alive and well is Gainesville.
What in the world is “cancel culture?” And why was that term used in connection with this demonstration?
Probably just another made-up right-wing concept (like “woke”) to stir up and get people angry, which furthers the aims and actions of Vladimir Putin. Does anyone besides me remember when Russia was anathema to Republicans? Y’know, Joe McCarthy, and all that ilk?
These folks with the signs need to get their information from someone besides NPR. But at least they didn’t vandalize the place like their ilk have done elsewhere. USAID is a boondoggle. Meanwhile the national debt continues to grow, over $36 trillion now.
How many of these acts of vandalism were people torching their own cars so they can get out of paying for a car that’s now worth less than the loan they’re paying on it and that no one wants to buy?
I doubt they park their cars AT a TESLA dealership to set fire to it. 95% Tesla fires are at the dealerships due to vandals. Who’s next to get a prison term? Just protest don’t destroy it’s very simple.
Touching own cars?
Really!!
All foreign aid put together is less than one-quarter of one percent of annual national spending. If you really want to reduce the national debt, I would suggest auditing the Pentagon and stopping tax breaks for billionaires. And by the way, when our government destroys foreign aid and people in other countries starve and die for lack of medical care as a result, more of them try to come *here.*.
Money talks more than anything else in today’s society. The nationwide protests against Tesla aren’t about electric cars, they’re about Musk, his efforts to dismantle federal programs like social security, and his duplicity in receiving billions in contracts for his companies. Tesla’s stock is hurting from the protests, so the protesters’ message is clearly resounding.
Note that the protesters don’t claim to represent anyone’s views other than their own. There were others there expressing contrary views. This is all part of American tradition. Note that unlike January 6th, the protest was peaceful. No police were killed. No property damaged. Yet Musk wants them silenced and prosecuted as “terrorists”.
Be aware that Musk now has access to all of your personal data at the IRS, SSI, HHS, etc. I hope you’re OK with that. The ability to take that personal information and expose (or manufacture) scandal is what keeps all of your representatives toeing the line.
Regarding the national debt, let’s just note that Tesla paid $0 in Federal income tax in 2024. Did you?
defund the IRS so some with more money can’t play the games to reduce their tax burden. and so that they aren’t used against some people/companies as weapons.
So, just pass the collection plate around and you pay whatever you feel like?
Uninformed losers with signs. Hippocrates as most, based on their agenda, would otherwise love electric cars. Auto production and innovation, as in most industries, best left to market forces. DOGE badly needly and the crux of such even articulated by former administrations. Bloated beaurocracy and wasteful departments and spending are not in American citizens best interest. It is refreshing that “the best and the brightest” are helping shape our future.
Hippocrates? What does a Greek classical period physician and philosopher have to do with this discussion. Do you perhaps mean “Hypocrites”?
The idea that EVs are superior in terms of environmental impact is questionable. Almost all EVs today employ lithium-ion batteries. The mining of lithium and other materials in these batteries can have severe impacts on local communities, including the diversion of scarce water supplies from human needs and toxic chemical spills, as well as (in some countries) abusive labor practices such as the use of child labor. The recycling and safe disposal of lithium and other battery materials such as nickel and cobalt are also lagging behind the rapid growth in EV use. Also, it takes electricity to recharge those lithium batteries, which puts a much heavier load on the grid which means power providers must do more to generate electricity.
Shame on any Club of Elders and or Adults naming and calling and tagging themselves as ” The Bad*** Feminists”. Oh, What a Shameful Name for a Club and Club Members.
Representative of DNC leadership
Protester Signs that One holds up is like One’s Tombstone, Grave Stone, Grave Marker. Can’t you See it’s Wrong to Protest. A Grave Yard full of 🪦 Tombstone’s is a Place where the Dead 🙊 Speak. When you Protest with a written sign you Hand Made. You put Shame on Yourself within your Community. There are more pleasant ways to hold an Adult Discussion. Preferably in in Private Quarters.
Oh yeah, stay quiet and let the would-be dictators run roughshod over us. What kind of American doesn’t stand up in the face of tyranny?
Yes go for the takedown or cancellation, support cancel culture
Eliminate what you disagree with (or hate)
Thank you
This is billed as a takedown, or cancellation
Unacceptable in a free society