In various parts of the U.S., people have been participating in the organized protests called “Tesla Takedown” outside of Tesla dealerships.

The movement stems from the public’s disagreement with Elon Musk and his involvement in politics, more specifically his part in Trump’s administration and connection with DOGE (The Department of Government Efficiency), which is a task force meant to cut federal expenses.

The first protest took place Feb. 7 in Tucson, Arizona, with 52 people. Their most recent plans included protesting at all 277 Tesla dealerships across the nation on March 29. The group organizing these protests clearly states their goal: “We’re tanking Tesla’s stock price to stop Musk.”

Tesla Takedown has been acknowledged by Musk on X, where he posted false, provocative claims about the movement and one of the organizers, Valerie Costa. Costa considers this to be a sign the movement is succeeding.

On her site, Costa wrote, “I always believed people were powerful. Now the world’s richest man does too.”

Following this movement there have been incidents of vandalism, arson, and gunfire at dealerships, with individual Tesla cars, and at charging stations.

However, these violent acts are not supported by or a part of the Tesla Takedown movement. Additionally, Tesla owners have reported getting dirty looks or harsher treatment on the roads.

Aria Peralta ’28, a student at Saint Ignatius, said, “It’s a little embarrassing to have a Tesla these days, especially because we bought it before we knew Elon was bad, and now people associate the car with Trump supporters.”