Nine Arrests After Attack on Tesla Dealership in New York

Nine people were arrested this Saturday during a heated protest outside a Tesla dealership in New York.

Protesters denounced Elon Musk’s role in significant federal public sector layoffs, carried out at the request of President Donald Trump.

This protest, which involved hundreds of people according to police, was part of a series of events titled “Tesla Takedown” organized across the United States. These actions notably targeted Elon Musk, whose role as head of the “Government Efficiency Department” (DOGE) of the Trump administration is increasingly contested.

Crowds of protesters also gathered outside Tesla showrooms in Jacksonville, Tucson, and other cities, blocking traffic and holding signs such as “Burn a Tesla: Save Democracy” or “No Dictators in the USA”.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is leading an unprecedented campaign to reduce the federal administration. This initiative has resulted in the layoffs of thousands of employees and the termination of hundreds of federal aid contracts and leases. Among the most serious repercussions are the dismissal of key workers in federal agencies, including scientists combating a bird flu outbreak and nuclear security specialists.

Since Trump took office on January 20, at least 100,000 of the 2.3 million federal employees have accepted severance packages or been laid off.

On the website actionnetwork.org, organizers called for selling Tesla shares and joining strike pickets. “Disconnecting Musk from Tesla would be a significant blow to this administration and its priorities, because it would strike at what it preserves most: money and power,” actor and director Alex Winter said in an article for Rolling Stone. Winter also claimed on social media to have helped organize the protests.

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