Not fans of Elon Musk. | Image: Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge
On a recent Saturday afternoon, around 50 sign-wielding protesters stood outside the Tesla showroom in Manhattan’s Meatpacking neighborhood, screaming insults at passing Tesla vehicles.
âUncool car!â
âDonât buy a Swatsticar!â
âMajor loser!â
The excitement peaked when an unsuspecting Cybertruck suddenly pulled around the corner. As a woman in the passenger seat stared wide-eyed out the window, the protestors began to chant: âMicro penis! Micro penis!â
The protest was one of dozens outside Tesla locations across the country that day, spurred by Muskâs attempts to dismantle large parts of the federal government. As part of an effort dubbed #TeslaTakedown or #TeslaTakeover by organizers, groups of protesters have largely planned their actions on Bluesky, a competitor to Muskâs X, and are now entering their third week of activity.Â
âDonât buy a Swatsticar!â
It started with a smattering of demonstrations outside Tesla showrooms in places like Maine, Massachusetts, New York, California, and Colorado. But as Musk continues to blaze a path of destruction, the number of protests has exploded. There are currently 65 events listed on TeslaTakedown.com, e …