Nine people were arrested Saturday during a large-scale protest outside a Tesla dealership in New York City, as demonstrators rallied against Elon Musk’s involvement in sweeping federal workforce reductions under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The protest, which drew hundreds, was part of a coordinated “Tesla Takedown” movement, with similar demonstrations occurring across the country. Protesters targeted Musk, who is leading the Trump administration’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative driving extensive cuts to federal jobs.
Demonstrations also erupted at Tesla showrooms in Jacksonville, Florida; Tucson, Arizona; and other cities, where protesters blocked traffic, chanted slogans, and held signs reading “Burn a Tesla: Save Democracy” and “No Dictators in the USA.”
Musk, the world’s richest person, is spearheading an unprecedented effort to downsize the federal government. This initiative has led to thousands of job terminations and the cancellation of hundreds of federal aid contracts and leases.
Tesla and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Some federal agencies have reportedly attempted to rehire key personnel, including nuclear weapons specialists, infectious disease scientists combating a worsening bird flu outbreak, and officials managing energy distribution.
Since Trump took office on January 20, more than 100,000 of the 2.3 million federal employees have either accepted buyouts or been dismissed.
“We are taking action at Tesla, Musk’s flagship company,” organizers stated on the website actionnetwork.org, urging people to divest from Tesla stock and “join the picket lines.”
“Detaching Musk from Tesla would deal a significant blow to this administration, as it strikes at what they value most: money and power,” actor and filmmaker Alex Winter wrote in a Rolling Stone article. Winter has publicly supported and helped organize the protests.
Reuters
