Protesters in Palo Alto, Calif., rally outside a Tesla auto dealership against owner Elon Musk. Samuel Corum/ZUMA; Sam Van Pykeren/Mother Jones
Across the nation, citizens have been protesting unelected budget-cut overlord Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency”—in part at Tesla auto dealerships, where, this weekend, Musk’s former neighbors in Palo Alto took a stand.
The Bay Area city was home to Musk and his electric vehicle empire for more than a decade. Both have since relocated to Texas, where Musk can draw even bigger paychecks, create his own SpaceX company town, and launch rockets over the Gulf-that-shall-not-be-named.
MoJo‘s Sam Van Pykeren stopped by the Palo Alto protest, organized in part by Raging Grannies, a group known for their song and humor-filled protests. While peaceful, protesters were upset, calling Musk a “fraud” and “felon.”
The ire is notable, since Palo Alto residents originally rallied behind Tesla as early buyers. In 2018, close to two-thirds of the electric vehicles sold in Palo Alto were Teslas, compared to about half nationwide.
But the residents of his former town now have some choice words for him.
“It’s important that we’re in the middle of Silicon Valley,” says Lori Poultney, 56, “There are people that have bought Teslas that are getting rid of them. And I think our voice lies with our protests and with our money.”
“The community that they got rich off of is not going to put up with their BS,” said Bryce, 25, who asked that his last name be omitted.
Whether due to the protests, Musk’s behavior, or the fact that his Cybertrucks are literally falling apart, there has been a significant dip in Tesla’s market cap since its post-election high.
The White House has stepped in to protect the “first buddy.” During a White House Tesla showcase that looked and sounded like a sales pitch, Trump said that any violence against Tesla would be considered “domestic terrorism,” and has, ludicrously, called the prospect of a Tesla boycott “illegal.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is launching investigations into the Tesla protest movement. “If you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out, because we’re coming after you,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a Fox News interview Friday.
The Palo Alto protesters were careful. “We’re not actually preventing anybody from entering the storefront,” said protester Dylan Jow, 28, “but somebody driving by might think twice.”
