Elon Musk has sparked debate since taking a prominent role in the US government’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).
From ‘emailgate’ where Mr Musk threatened government staff with layoffs to the Nazi-style salute that sparked worldwide outrage, the tech CEO has faced numerous criticisms.
Owner of major brands such as Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Mr Musk is facing criticism from protesters targeting the companies that made him a billionaire.
The TeslaTakedown group wants to cut off Mr Musk’s funding and disrupt his growing political influence.
Here’s a closer look at the organisation and its protests.
What are the Tesla Takedown protests?
Tesla Takedown has identified that much of Mr Musk’s wealth is tied to Tesla’s share price, which is within the public’s control as a publicly traded company. The group argues that boycotting Tesla products can limit funding to the CEO and similarly aligned figures such as Tommy Robinson and even President Donald Trump.
Tesla’s share price has risen by 600 per cent in the last five years. The protests aim to challenge this growth and raise awareness about Mr Musk’s actions.
While the in-person protests follow typical forms of organised resistance, with signs reading ‘honk if you hate Elon’ and public demonstrations, there is also encouragement for Tesla owners to sell their cars. Some protests are held in high-footfall public areas, while others occur outside Tesla dealerships.
Additionally, some people linked to the protests in the US have been accused of vandalising Tesla cars and participating in boycotts of brands associated with Tesla, such as Uber.
Who has organised the Tesla Takedown protests?
The key leaders of the US-based group include Alex Winter, Joan Donovan, John Cusack, Edward Niedermeyer and Valerie Costa. The first demonstration took place in Tucson, Arizona, catching the attention of online activist Mr Winter and sociologist Mr Donovan. It remains unclear who organised the protest.
Across the pond in the UK, 50-year-old Londoner John Gorenfeld, originally from California, is leading the charge with the protests.
Living and working as a freelance software engineer in south London’s Morden, Mr Gorenfeld and his activist partner, Theodora Sutcliffe, have established a 25-strong group of activists, according to an interview the former conducted with the Daily Express.
"I saw people protesting in the States and I wanted to be a part of that,” he said. "I think it really gives people hope to know that there are others who feel the same way.
“We would be bad people if we didn't do something about this kind of evil."
When is the Tesla Takedown protest in London?
The global day of action for Tesla Takedown is set for Saturday, March 29, with protests taking place across the UK, from Edinburgh and Glasgow to London and Bristol.
The London Park Royal Tesla Takedown will occur at 11am on Saturday, March 29, at the Tesla dealership at 152 Dukes Road, W3 0SL.
The event organisers wrote: “Elon Musk is destroying democracy around the world, and he's using the fortune he built at Tesla to do it. We are taking nonviolent action at Tesla to stop Musk.
“Sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket lines. We're tanking Tesla's stock price to stop Musk. Stopping Musk will help save lives and protect our democracy.
“The stakes couldn’t be higher. No one is coming to save us. Not politicians, not the media, not the courts.
“Tesla Takedown is a peaceful protest movement. We oppose violence, vandalism and destruction of property.”
