Tesla takedown protest at Tempe dealership rallies against Elon Musk

The group Superstition Rising Indivisible organized a protest outside a Tesla location in Tempe to highlight Elon Musk's influence over the country.

In an online call to action, the group voiced "deep concerns regarding Elon Musk's leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and the detrimental impact of its recent actions on essential federal agencies."

The March 22 protest was part of Tesla Takedown protests, a movement decrying Musk's impact on national politics.

The protest took place outside the Tempe Tesla dealership. It was part of a broader series of demonstrations aimed at raising awareness about what organizers view as the misuse of Musk's influence.

The event posting emphasized that the protest was not against Tesla or its products but rather "specifically at Musk's role in implementing policies that undermine critical public services."

Global Day of Protest

The same group intends on returning for the Global Day of Protest slated for March 29.

Musk, co-founder and chairman of Tesla, owns approximately 13% of the company.

"We're here because we want his hands off all of our stuff, all of our money," said Nancy Topoozian, the protest organizer. "We're here to protect the people that can't have the voice."

Throughout the event, approximately 50 protesters gathered, holding signs with slogans such as "Fire Musk" and "Elon is a Nazi." Some signs took a more creative approach, including "I saw a (Musk) rat" and "Take all the ketamine," while others emphasized resisting oligarchy and defending democracy.

Topoozian made clear the protest was not against Tesla as a company. Many protesters were Tesla owners who opposed Musk's involvement in politics, she said.

Stock in Musk's company has plummeted in recent weeks after multiple protests nationwide. Protesters cite his stake in the company and his influence on the federal government.

Tesla has become a symbol for Americans frustrated with Musk and his efforts to shrink the federal government in his unelected role as a "special government employee" under Trump.

Protesters want DOGE to look at everything in government, Topoozian said. "If there's fraud, get rid of it, but we don't agree with just firing everybody," she said.

Protesters also criticized Musk for his influence on the presidential campaign and the right-wing shift of X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which he purchased in 2022.

The DOGE cuts hit home for Topoozian, who was formerly an educator.

"I want to be the voice for those who are scared to be out here. I also want to make sure we're doing it peacefully. We want the real message to be out there," Topoozian said.

"We want Musk's pocket to start feeling like what he's doing to us"

Gail Graves said her father always told her she had no right to complain unless she was actively working to improve a situation.

She emphasized the importance of action. “Everybody needs to know that they've got to get out and do something themselves. We have to show them how unhappy we are," she said.

She was joined by other protesters she met at a Bernie Sanders event, all sharing a common concern—that the wealthiest 1% are running the country at the expense of everyone else.

Graves, an independent voter, said she was denied entry to an Andy Biggs event last week after staff looked up her voting record. She wasn’t the only one turned away from the event featuring the congressman, she added.

"They were very open about it," said Graves. "They said, 'Republicans only.'"

Cuts to education, Social Security and veterans' benefits were among the protesters' concerns on March 22.

Graves, a retired USPS worker, said she personally has noticed the change in how many people were arriving for the "We Care Wednesdays" food drive at Mesa Community College where she volunteers. The cuts to benefits are a big part of that, she said.

Sophia Marjanovic, who has been leading the Tesla protests for the past month, said the goal is to hurt Musk financially as long as he continues to influence American politics.

"Elon Musk's wealth is in Tesla. He's already lost 200 billion dollars and he's still the richest man in the world," Marjanovic said. "If he keeps disrupting our government, we're going to continue disrupting his businesses."

Toopozian added, "We want Musk's pocket to start feeling like what he's doing to us."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tesla takedown protest takes place at Temp dealership