‘Tesla Takedown’ protesters are planning a global day of action on March 29, and things might get ugly

Summary

“Tesla Takedown” organizers have promised their biggest day of global action today, encouraging thousands to protest outside Tesla showrooms, dealerships, and even charging stations to peacefully object to Elon Musk’s role in slashing government spending. As Tesla protests have spread, so has the backlash. Activists holding up signs are being conflated with masked vandals throwing Molotov cocktails. On social media, and in Washington, the distinction is fading fast. President Donald Trump has called attacks on Tesla “domestic terrorism” and threatened to send “terrorist thugs” to prisons in El Salvador. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has pledged to prosecute “those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes,” even though evidence suggests the attacks were carried out by “lone offenders.” And Musk’s decision to accuse at least one peaceful protester of “committing crimes” on X has fueled a public discourse that equates protest with vandalism, and vandalism with terrorism. If the government or law enforcement starts treating all anti-Tesla actions as criminal, peaceful protesters could find themselves facing consequences meant for extremists. “Terrorism is a problematic concept in law enforcement because it is by definition differentiated from other violence by its political nature,” Mike German, a former FBI special agent and fellow at the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program, told TechCrunch. “That’s why we’ve seen counterterrorism measures so often result in problematic outcomes targeting the civil rights of people engaged in First Amendment-protected activity, rather than the people who are committing acts of violence.” The Tesla Takedown protesters have consistently preached nonviolence at rallies and on their website. The movement’s stated goal is not to physically harm Tesla or Musk, but rather to encourage people to sell their Teslas, sell their stock, and stop buying new Teslas. “The reason that [Musk] is in the positio...