Protests against billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk erupted across the country, with demonstrators gathering outside Tesla dealerships to voice their opposition. In Phoenix, activists lined the sidewalks on March 29, targeting Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the federal agency tasked with cutting wasteful government spending.
The demonstration was organized by Northwest Valley Indivisible, a left-wing activist group that opposes what it calls the “destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies.” The group claims Musk is undermining government institutions under the guise of efficiency.
“Elon Musk claims that he is there for efficiency when, in actuality, he’s taken that chainsaw instead of a scalpel to necessary services,” said Brent Peak, Co-chair of Northwest Valley Indivisible.
Protesters encouraged Tesla owners to sell their vehicles and stock in a campaign dubbed “Tesla Takedown.” The movement is backed by a radical Seattle-based group called the “Troublemakers,” which openly states its mission is to “resist corporations, governments, and institutions” under the pretense of fighting “racial capitalism and neocolonialism.”
However, across the street, supporters of Musk and the Trump administration defended the efforts to cut government waste, arguing this is precisely the kind of reform they voted for. Musk and members of his DOGE team recently told Fox News’ Brett Baier that they are confident in identifying a trillion dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal bureaucracy.
Earlier this month, Tesla Model S was deliberately set on fire in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood in what authorities are investigating as arson. According to the Seattle Times, an unidentified suspect doused the vehicle with gasoline, ignited it, and fled the scene.
Firefighters arrived at approximately 8:15 p.m. to find the vehicle engulfed in flames. While the Seattle Police Department has not yet apprehended a suspect, officers recovered a gasoline can and a plastic bag at the scene. Security footage is being reviewed to identify the arsonist.
This attack comes amid a string of anti-Tesla incidents in opposition of Musk in the Seattle area, including Capitol Hill. Over the weekend, vandals spray-painted six Tesla Cybertrucks with profanity and swastikas at a dealership in Lynnwood, Washington. Additionally, four Cybertrucks were either damaged or destroyed in a fire at a Seattle parking lot on Sunday night, prompting speculation of another arson attack. Authorities are still investigating the cause.
