Chaos Erupts at Tesla Showrooms as Protesters Demand Elon Musk’s Downfall
Mass protests rocked Tesla showrooms across the U.S. on Saturday as furious demonstrators called for the collapse of Elon Musk’s electric car empire. Outrage exploded over Musk’s controversial role in the federal government, where his Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) has been slashing jobs and consolidating power at an unprecedented scale.
According to a Financial Times report, massive crowds flooded Tesla stores in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Miami, and dozens of other cities, chanting “Shut it down!” and waving banners accusing Musk of gutting government programs to benefit his own ventures. Social media fueled the fire, with #TeslaTakedown and #TeslaTakeover going viral on Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter).
Elon Musk’s Grip on Government Sparks Global Outrage
As tensions escalated, Tesla’s Berlin Gigafactory became a key target of international backlash. Activists in Germany and the UK projected a massive image of Musk making a controversial gesture, linking him to far-right ideologies. The stunt, orchestrated by UK-based Led by Donkeys and Germany’s Centre for Political Beauty, was part of a growing campaign against Musk’s influence on politics.
The Financial Times also reported violent incidents at Tesla locations across the U.S. Arson attempts were made at showrooms in Oregon and Colorado, while earlier this month, a Tesla store in The Hague was defaced with anti-fascist graffiti and swastikas. Dutch authorities have since launched an investigation into the attack.
Meanwhile, the financial markets responded to the chaos, with Tesla stock plummeting 6% to $328.50 on Tuesday before rebounding to $355.84 later in the week. Despite the slight recovery, Tesla shares are still down 12% in 2025, as nervous investors brace for further turmoil.
Fired Federal Workers Expose Elon’s D.O.G.E. Massacre
Adding fuel to the fire, thousands of recently fired federal employees took to social media to blast Musk and his D.O.G.E. policies. One former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) worker posted on X:
“Hey Elon! Your D.O.G.E. minions just fired me and my colleagues. We were working on improving maternal health outcomes AT LOWER COSTS so fewer pregnant women would die in this country.”
Another enraged user accused Musk of diverting taxpayer money for his personal gain:
“He’s cutting jobs left and right to fund subsidies for his companies and his Mars fantasies—at the expense of real lives.”
Even the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), responsible for the U.S. nuclear arsenal, was caught in the chaos. NBC reported that some fired NNSA employees were reinstated—only for officials to realize they couldn’t contact them because their government emails had been deactivated.
“The termination letters for some NNSA employees are being rescinded, but we have no way to reach them.”
Since taking control of the D.O.G.E., Musk has slashed 9,500 federal jobs, while another 75,000 employees were forced to accept buyouts. His moves mark one of the largest government job purges in U.S. history.
Under President Biden, federal employment had skyrocketed by 43%—growing from 2.1 million workers in 2019 to over 3 million by the end of 2024. That surge fueled criticism about overgrown bureaucracy, paving the way for Musk’s aggressive cuts under the Trump administration.
What’s Next?
With protests intensifying and Tesla’s stock on shaky ground, Elon Musk’s empire is facing one of its biggest challenges yet. The question now: Will Musk double down, or will the public backlash force him to retreat?
One thing is clear—this battle is far from over.
