Tesla Takedown: New Yorkers Turn Out to Protest Musk

By Sophia Elidrissi
1 week ago June 19, 2025VALERIE CONKLIN

As of June 11, there have been over 7,000 protests in the U.S. since January 2025, according to data collected by the United States Crisis Monitor. About 1,181 of these were held in New York State.

One of these protests, which swept Manhattan’s Meatpacking district on the weekend of March 29, 2025, targeted Elon Musk, the tech billionaire who had recently taken over the Trump administration’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

NEW YORK — Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Tesla showroom on Washington Street as part of a nationally coordinated “Global Day of Action.” Protests gathered outside over 200 Tesla dealerships and showrooms across the United States.

Protesters directed their outrage at Musk and DOGE’s efforts to push a series of drastic cost-cutting measures that sharply reduced or eliminated government programs. Billions of dollars were cut from everything from Medicaid to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Citizens also voiced concerns over the growing privatization of government functions and the blurring lines between corporate influence and democratic governance.

Protesters and activists representing a broad cross-section of New York City converged with a shared mission: To disrupt the financial power fueling what they viewed as an increasingly authoritarian government.
The protest was co-organized by Planet over Profit. It was also joined by dozens of protesters from ACT UP, who hosted a “die-in”; participants holding signs that read “Death by DOGE” and “RIP KILLED BY CUTS” fell to the ground. They hoped to draw attention to the way Musk’s healthcare cuts would hurt Americans.
Counter protestors were also present outside the Tesla Showroom.
Surrounding a large banner that read “BURN A TESLA SAVE DEMOCRACY” were people wearing makeshift cardboard cars resembling Teslas that were drawn to appear engulfed in flames. Protesters said they were committed to opposing Elon Musk in a nonviolent manner by targeting his wealth — primarily stock in Tesla.

“I think this protest will help fight against Trump and Musk who shouldn’t even be in there, he’s raping the country,” Debby, a protester who declined to share her full name, said. “This is my third week protesting here. We can fight back. This is what we have to do to get through it.”

Though Musk left DOGE and his role in Trump’s administration in May, the #TeslaTakedown movement hasn’t quit organizing. It plans a “Global Day of Celebration” on June 28, much like March’s Day of Action.

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