"Down with Tesla" protests staged in many places
Protest organizers called March 29 a "global day of action" with the goal of demonstrating at hundreds of Tesla stores in the United States, Canada and Europe.
American technology blog TheVerge and other media visited multiple protest sites. Here are the protests they observed around the world:
London, UK
london protests
The "Down with Tesla" protest in London was small, with just over 50 protesters gathered outside a Tesla showroom in Park Royal, including a dinosaur-shaped mannequin and a blown-in air model of Musk saluting (sarcastically giving him a Nazi salute). However, the scale of the protests has grown significantly compared with six weeks ago. Organizer John Gorenfeld said there were only two protesters six weeks ago and they were "repulsed from Westfield London shopping center by security".
Ottawa, Canada
Ottawa protests
Protests against Tesla broke out in several major cities in Canada. About two dozen protesters stood in the rain outside a Tesla store in Vancouver's Kitzlano neighborhood on Saturday, cheering and waving flags as passing cars honked their horns in support. They held signs against Tesla and Musk, including "Stoptoxic Musk-culinity" and "Boycott Tesla."
Washington, D.C., United States
Protests in Georgetown
On a busy shopping street in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., protesters danced to the beat of various songs outside a Tesla showroom. They were dressed in a variety of costumes, including shiny feather boas, captain's hats and printed shirts. The boat-themed dance attracted a wave of honking support from passing cars, and many pedestrians stopped to happily take photos. One sign read "Nazi cars sold here" and another read "Porsche = fast, Ferrari = faster, Tesla = fascist".
Miami, Florida
Miami protests
Protesters gathered at the Tesla showroom in Miami's Coral Gables district to participate in the nationwide peaceful protest "Down with Tesla."
Paramus, New Jersey
There are also Musk supporters
Drive along Route 17 in northern New Jersey and you'll see numerous car dealerships. But over the past few weeks, the Tesla store near Paramus has been the busiest place. Every weekend, protesters of all ages hold placards along the highway, encouraging owners to sell their Tesla cars, liquidate their Tesla stock, and blast their horns against fascism. On March 29, the atmosphere was different, as there were Tesla supporters there, holding signs that read "Thanks Elon."
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles protests
Protesters gathered outside the Tesla showroom in North Hollywood for the "Down with Tesla" protest.
Austin, Texas
Musk’s opponents and supporters
On March 29, outside the Tesla store in Austin, Texas, an anti-Musk protester stood in the crowd and participated in the "Down with Tesla" protest, surrounded by Musk supporters.
Walnut Creek, California
Protesters in Walnut Creek, California
Although organizers expected the crowd to be large, the scene was quiet when reporters arrived 20 minutes before the protest, which last week numbered about 1,300 people, was quiet. In less than ten minutes, the square was filled with protesters, holding various slogans, including "Deport Musk", "Stop attacking democracy", "Don't touch our social security", etc.
New York City, New York
New York City Protesters
Hundreds of protesters marched and chanted in front of a Tesla showroom in New York City's Meatpacking District in a heated and passionate atmosphere, waving signs, dancing in flame-shaped cardboard Cybertruck costumes and smashing toy cars on the sidewalk with hammers. Subsequently, the protesters staged a "pretend to be dead protest", with many lying on the street and holding cardboard signs like tombstones to express their dissatisfaction with Tesla.