Recently, a group of protesters gathered outside a Tesla dealership in London to advocate for a boycott of the electric car manufacturer owned by Elon Musk. The organizers are urging Tesla owners to sell their vehicles and encouraging others to divest from the company’s stock.
The electric vehicle giant has faced significant challenges this year, with its shares dropping amid increasing competition from Chinese rivals. The calls for a boycott have been fueled by concerns over Mr. Musk’s connections to former U.S. President Donald Trump and various far-right causes. As one protester aptly put it, “We need to take a stand against the influence of billionaires on our democracy.”
At the Tesla center in Park Royal, west London, demonstrators displayed banners proclaiming messages like “Honk if you hate Tesla” and “Enough fascist nonsense,” expressing their dissatisfaction with the company’s leadership.
In a notable incident on Wednesday, two activists from the group Just Stop Oil were arrested after they poured orange powdered paint over a display robot at a Tesla shop in Shepherd’s Bush. The Metropolitan Police reported that retired teacher Catherine Rennie Nash, 74, and former tax adviser Nigel Fleming, 63, climbed onto a podium in the store to make their protest known, unfurling a banner that read, “We cannot let billionaires jeopardize climate science,” a sentiment that resonates widely among climate advocates today.
Recently, Tesla has endured protests and acts of vandalism in the United States as well. In Oregon, authorities are collaborating with the FBI to investigate gunfire directed at a Tesla dealership. This incident followed another where a woman faced federal charges in Denver for vandalizing a Tesla dealership, which included throwing Molotov cocktails at vehicles and spray-painting “Nazi cars” on the building.
In a contrasting view, former U.S. President Donald Trump recently expressed his support for Tesla by test-driving a shiny red Model S during an outing at the White House. “Wow, that’s beautiful,” Trump remarked while seated behind the wheel, highlighting a different perspective on the electric car manufacturer.
Elon Musk continues to juggle his responsibilities as the head of Tesla, the social media platform X, and the aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, all while offering advice to Trump and navigating the complexities of public opinion.
In a time where public sentiment can sway rapidly, the fate of Tesla and its leading figures remains uncertain, echoing the ongoing debate about corporate responsibility and influence in political matters.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring
