Protesters target Tesla in US, Europe and Canada over Musk's Doge role

Car maker has been hit by vandalism, demonstrations and sinking stock

A protester and a Tesla Cybertruck driver argue at a protest outside a Tesla showroom in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday. Bloomberg

Thousands of demonstrators descended on Tesla dealerships in the US, Europe and Canada on Saturday to protest against the company's co-founder Elon Musk, who has gained significant influence as a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump.

Mr Musk, one of the richest men in the world, has led efforts to cut government spending and jobs through the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), an agency established after Mr Trump returned to power.

Mr Musks's aggressive policy agenda includes major budget cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Education and the National Park Service.

Protesters show their opposition to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. AFP

Despite reports of thousands of job cuts, Mr Musk said on Thursday that “almost no one has got fired" from the government.

Investors have been dumping stocks in Tesla since the beginning of the year, as demand for its electric cars declines amid the arrival of cheaper alternatives on the market and protests over Mr Musk's political statements. The company's shares have lost about a fifth of their value so far in 2025.

Tesla, once celebrated as an innovative car maker, has become a target for vandalism and violent demonstrations.

Organisers of the latest protests urged participants to boycott Tesla products, divest from its stock and join the “Tesla takedown” movement. Demonstrators held signs bearing messages including “hurting Tesla is stopping Musk” and “stopping Musk will help save lives and our democracy".

Tesla and its founder Elon Musk have become targets for protesters in North America and Europe. AFP

In New York City, hundreds gathered outside the Tesla showroom in Manhattan. “He acts like he's the vice president,” said protester Eva Mueller. “He's dismantling, actively, our government, he's dismantling our democracy.”

In Washington's upmarket Georgetown neighbourhood, about 150 protesters danced and cheered as passing motorists honked their horns. Protests also took place in Florida, Massachusetts and California, as well as in European cities including London, Berlin and Paris.

A small group of US citizens held signs outside a Tesla dealership in Paris, including one that read: “Send Musk to Mars now.”

About 100 people protested outside a Tesla dealership in the Canadian city of Vancouver. Among them was a person in a dinosaur costume, who held a placard that said: “You thought the Nazis were extinct? Don't buy a 'Swasticar'.”

It comes amid weeks of vandalism against Tesla vehicles, dealerships and other sites linked to the company, in protest against Mr Musk's job cuts and opposition to his involvement in political matters.

On Friday, New York Police were searching for two people suspected of carving a swastika on a parked Tesla Cybertruck in Brooklyn. The FBI has launched a task force to stop attacks on Tesla, acts that the agency designated as “domestic terrorism.”

Hundreds protest against Tesla founder Elon Musk in New York City. Reuters