Horn-hitter vehicles along west London’s A40 on Saturday weren’t directed at fellow motorists but at Tesla CEO Elon Musk, as UK demonstrators chipped in to join the burgeoning “Takedown Tesla” movement spreading from the United States.
The demonstration, part of a global day of action, saw dozens gather outside a Tesla showroom in Park Royal, holding signs and chanting. Organizers say protests took place at over 200 Tesla locations worldwide, with nearly 50 in California alone. Musk has yet to respond to the backlash.
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Among them was Louise Cobbett-Witten, a 39-year-old US citizen who works for the NHS and has family in the US. Seething with frustration, she declared, “It’s too much to do nothing. Checks and balances have failed these individuals are fascists, xenophobes, and misogynists, and they’re coming for everyone.”
Following the constant protests, Tesla has also posted a security guard at Park Royal, though the protesters have been peaceful. In spite of Tesla’s declining European sales, UK registrations grew by more than 20% in February.
Gay rights campaigner Nigel Warner, 77, distributed stickers on Tesla vehicles, feeling the best way to protest is financially hurting Musk. “If he can’t sell his cars, he’s finished,” he said.
Director Jim Green, who collaborated with Musk a decade earlier, remembered a stark contrast in the billionaire’s personality. “He was charismatic and enthusiastic about sustainable energy. Now, he insults the very individuals who once backed Tesla.”
Retiree Anne Kajava, who is from Minnesota, expressed fears about the US’s changing foreign policy and the threat of global conflict. She carried a banner with a Trump toilet brush and confessed to having practiced a British accent so that she would not be recognized as American.
With worldwide protests growing in strength, the pressure on Musk and Tesla keeps building.
