The protests began at a handful of Tesla stores in early February and have grown to hundreds of stores around the world as more people come out to protest CEO Elon Musk's efforts to dismantle the federal government. So-called "Tesla Teardown" protesters waved signs and chanted slogans, becoming a flashpoint against Musk's push to cancel federal aid programs and lay off tens of thousands of government employees. Musk serves as head of DOGE, or the Department of Government Effectiveness.
There has also been an increase in arson, vandalism and violence against Tesla showrooms, which Musk and President Trump have labeled "domestic terrorism" even though they are not related to the protests. Other members of the Trump administration have said protesters may also be subject to scrutiny. Attorney General Pam Bondi promised "severe action against those involved in these attacks, including those behind the scenes who coordinated and financed these crimes."
The hour-long call, which included actors, filmmakers, members of Congress, federal workers, academics and journalists, sought to steer clear of Trump's rhetoric about "terrorism" and instead focus on Musk and the company's plummeting stock price. Tesla shares have fallen nearly 40% since the start of the year as poor sales and increased competition in the United States and abroad have fueled pessimism about the company's future.
“There was no conspiracy, no well-funded cabal,” said actor and filmmaker Alex Winter, who helped promote the protests in their early days on BlueSky. "It's just Elon Musk who brought down Tesla."
Alice Hu, executive director of PlanetOverProfit, said protesters plan to hold 500 events around the world on March 29, with demonstrations at all 277 Tesla showrooms in the United States and hundreds more overseas. Protesters will even be free to demonstrate at Supercharger stations, she said.
"We need to show Elon that he can throw a tantrum online because his stock is tainted,"
Organizers insist their movement is peaceful and often go to great lengths to emphasize the non-violent nature of the demonstrations.
"What we fight for, we fight for our country," said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). "We fight for democracy. We fight for freedom. When I say fight, I'm speaking metaphorically. Obviously, everything I advocate is nonviolent."
With Trump promising to pursue domestic terrorism charges against Tesla for the violence, organizers recommended that protesters consult an attorney to better understand the laws in their state. "Some state statutes may be used to intimidate protesters, so it pays to know what you're facing," said Lauren Regan, executive director and senior staff attorney at the Civil Liberties Defense Center. She said that in her experience, states are often reluctant to prosecute activists because of the high likelihood that the statutes will be found unconstitutional.
"Their goal is to pick out a few people and scare others into submission and apathy," Regan said. "There are going to be parts of the country that are very conservative and they're going to be very harsh on dissidents or activists whenever they want to."
The protests have clearly been fueled by the sharp decline in Tesla's stock price in recent weeks. Several speakers said Tesla's collapse was not only possible but likely. Investigative journalist Micah Lee was one of a group of Twitter users banned by Musk shortly after he acquired Twitter. He said pursuing Tesla's value is a "solid strategy."
"If we destroy the Tesla brand, if we drive the stock price low enough, we can force him to sell stock to pay off the billions of dollars in debt he took on when he acquired Twitter,"
Musk became the world's richest man largely thanks to Tesla's share price. He owns 13% of the company's shares and is its largest single shareholder. As of today, the company has a market capitalization of $739 billion, down from $1.08 trillion earlier this year, meaning Musk's stake is worth about $96 billion. Tesla's board of directors is made up of close friends and relatives, raising concerns about its independence from the controversial CEO. Several board members, including Chairman Robin Denholm and James Murdoch, have sold more than $100 million worth of Tesla stock in recent weeks.
"This will send Tesla's stock price into a death spiral."
But it's unclear whether the crackdown on Tesla will actually have a significant impact on Musk. He remains deeply favored by Trump and holds enormous control over the federal government. Even if these protests could severely impact Tesla, Musk has consolidated so much political power that beyond a certain point, it's unclear whether market forces will still be as powerful as they are.