Elon Musk’s Tesla dealerships face violent protests
Following Elon Musk’s recent involvement with President Donald Trump and his new position as Senior Advisor to the president of the United States, Tesla vehicles and dealerships have been subject to several attacks.
After being appointed to oversee the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has been facing opposition, with many people boycotting his brand altogether. Paul Hyon Kim, 36-years-old, is being charged with arson and held in custody in Las Vegas, Nevada, after painting the word “resist” across the doors of a Tesla dealership and shooting at and setting fire to several cars on March 18. Kim’s defense attorney, Adam Solinger, said that the incident was “politically motivated.” Kim’s sentence is undecided as he remains in Federal Custody. These types of protests have recently occurred across the country, spanning across Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Missouri, South Carolina, Maryland and Massachusetts.
April 1 marked one of the most damaging protests, with 17 Teslas being burned in a Rome dealership. In addition to Tesla being at the forefront of such protests, Musk’s stocks have also suffered in the past couple of months. Despite nearly doubling in value after President Trump’s election, Tesla’s stocks are now down 37 percent since last year. Prices for used Tesla Cybertrucks are also dropping, reportedly down eight percent since Trump’s election. Several Tesla owners have taken to purchasing bumper stickers that read “I bought this before I knew Elon was crazy.”
Similarly, a nationwide “Tesla Takedown” protest has begun, with over 200 events protesting Musk and his recent involvement with the U.S. government. Similarly, “Musk or Us” protests have been endorsed by the Indivisible Project, who created and published a guide for supporters of the movement to organize themselves. In response to this ongoing trend of attacks and protests deemed “domestic terrorism” by Kash Patel, FBI Director, and Pam Bondi, Attorney General, a new FBI task force has emerged. This task force is investigating further into the recent Tesla attacks, pairing with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to NBC News “protesters targeted Tesla because they believe its CEO Elon Musk is using the wealth the company has brought him to fund political actions they view as a threat to democracy.”
Following the recent attack at the Nevada dealership, Bondi gave a statement to Fox Business Network, cautioning anyone against participating in similar protests. “If you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we’re coming after you.”
