Demonstrations at nearly 90 Tesla showrooms across the US are taking place on Saturday, marking the fifth week of the “Tesla Takedown” movement. The protests call for people to sell their Teslas and dump their stock as a form of reprimand against Elon Musk, who owns a significant stake in the electric vehicle maker.
The movement was started by actor Alex Winter and Boston University assistant professor Joan Donovan, with local organizers now active in 28 states and Washington DC. The Tesla showrooms have attracted growing numbers of demonstrators, many carrying signs such as “Honk if you hate Elon” and “Sell your swasticar.”
Tesla has not commented on the protests. However, the demonstrations are part of a broader effort by the DOGE movement to dismantle federal agencies. In March, the group proposed cutting 20% of the staff at the Internal Revenue Service.
The “Tesla Takedown” movement is diverse, with demonstrators from various backgrounds and ages. One demonstrator, Karen Metchis, said that while there may be no immediate impact on Musk, the protests show that people are not alone in their feelings and aim to build a mass movement against the Trump administration’s actions.
Many demonstrators believe that by selling their Teslas and dumping their stock, they can convince Musk to protect Americans’ rights. Elon Musk owns about 411 million shares of Tesla, giving him a 13% stake in the company. The protests are seen as a way for ordinary people to hold him accountable.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/22/business/musk-doge-tesla-demonstrations/index.html