• Our goal is not just Musk, but Musk ... is our villain right now because he’s such a cartoon character,' says US-based co-organizer of campaign targeting 'billionaire takeover' of government 
• 'Wherever you look, anywhere in the world ... they have their own specific issue with what Elon Musk is doing in that country,' Sutcliffe, organizer with Tesla Takedown London, tells Anadolu
• 'We’re going to keep pushing this until Donald Trump has finally met with the justice that he deserves,' says Washington-based campaigner

ISTANBUL 

A worldwide grassroots effort has been growing against Tesla, the electric carmaker run by its CEO Elon Musk, and, according to organizers, it has political aims beyond just challenging the tech billionaire.

They describe the campaign, dubbed Tesla Takedown, as an opposition movement to the “fascist regime” under President Donald Trump.

Tesla Takedown has been making headlines worldwide with protests and financial pressure tactics against Musk and his companies. But activists in the US emphasize that, while a focus, Musk serves primarily as a proxy in a broader political struggle.

Organizers say Musk is the ideal antagonist to represent their larger concerns about billionaire influence in the current US administration. “Our goal is not just Musk, but Musk ... is our villain right now because he’s such a cartoon character,” explains Melissa, a Washington-based co-organizer of protests who asked to be identified only by her first name to remain anonymous.

Speaking to Anadolu, she characterizes the campaign as a movement directed against the administration: “This is all about the Trump regime, which is a fascist regime.”

Concerns driving the actions in the US include Musk’s perceived unchecked entry into government functions, exemplified by his involvement with the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative aiming to cut government spending by mass-firing employees and ending contracts.

“Elon Musk (is) going into our government with a chainsaw,” Melissa said. She asserted that Musk, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, symbolizes a broader “billionaire takeover” of the US administration.  

Decentralized structure, global reach

Tesla Takedown prides itself on its lack of central control, allowing local groups to have some autonomy while sharing a common purpose. “It is grassroots. And it is purposely not top-down organized,” Melissa noted.

Theodora Sutcliffe, an organizer with Tesla Takedown London, confirmed this structure. “Obviously it’s a grassroots movement and it’s decentralized,” she said, noting that coordination between groups in different locations is “kind of loose” and avoids a “hierarchical corporate structure.”  

Varied grievances, common foe

While united against Musk, the specific complaints motivating activists differ by country.

While participants in the US are mainly focused on Musk’s role in the administration, data privacy worries related to government access, and mass firings are also major concerns.

Elsewhere, the emphasis shifts. “Wherever you look, anywhere in the world ... they have their own specific issue with what Elon Musk is doing in that country,” Sutcliffe explained.

She cited German activists’ concerns over pollution from Tesla’s Gigafactory near Berlin and Musk’s support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. In the UK, she said, the focus is on his political interference also benefiting groups like Reform UK and his public attacks on political figures.

Global themes identified by Sutcliffe include Musk’s perceived “climate denial” and support for “fossil fuel development,” and the spread of “disinformation.”  

Strategy: Financial pressure, brand damage

Beyond street demonstrations, the movement seeks to hurt Musk’s finances, primarily by targeting Tesla’s value and reputation. Sutcliffe asserted that tanking Tesla share prices was one way they sought to stop Musk.

Another tactic involves divestment campaigns, pressuring pension funds and corporations to shed Tesla stock or cancel major purchase agreements.

Sutcliffe detailed efforts targeting UK clean energy firm Octopus Energy over its Tesla promotions, arguing: “When you buy Tesla ... you are really supporting climate denial.”

“Not acceptable in 2025. Not for a green energy company,” she said, accusing Musk’s electric car company of greenwashing, or falsely marketing its products and practices as more sustainable than they actually are.

Boycotts of Musk’s other ventures, like the social media platform X and SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, are also encouraged, though Tesla remains the principal target due to its brand visibility and market value.  

Measuring impact

Organizers believe their campaign is contributing to tangible negative consequences for Tesla.

They point to the company’s 13% year-on-year decline in vehicle deliveries in the first three months of the year as evidence that protests are successfully “emphasizing how toxic” the brand has become, according to Sutcliffe.

The movement also highlights divestment actions, such as by the Brunel Pension Partnership in the UK, and notes growing participation in demonstrations as proof of increasing influence.

“The biggest thing that we can say ... is that the numbers have gotten bigger,” Melissa observed. She said Democratic Judge Susan Crawford beating her Musk-backed Republican opponent in Wisconsin Supreme Court elections could be seen as one of the movement’s political results.  

Commitment to peaceful protest

Instances of vandalism targeting Tesla property and cars have also made headlines, with authorities in the US especially vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Organizers from Tesla Takedown have also vehemently condemned such actions, insisting they are counterproductive and contrary to the movement’s principles.

“This is a peaceful protest,” Melissa emphasized. “Anybody doing any vandalism ... they are not welcome in our movement, but also they hurt the movement.”

Sutcliffe echoed this message, stating that the campaign’s leaders “have all been very, very clear that we do not do vandalism.”

Both suggested that those behind the incidents might not even be linked to the movement or could even be “false flags” designed to discredit their efforts.  

Ultimate goal

Regardless of the setting, Tesla Takedown’s stated goals converge on reducing Musk’s capacity to exert political influence through his wealth. “We want to make him sufficiently poor that he can’t interfere in politics anywhere in the world, ever again,” Sutcliffe said.

In the US, however, the objective is explicitly tied to challenging the Trump administration.

Melissa described a desire “to have Donald Trump arrested … and be put into jail,” calling the administration a “fascist regime that is corrupt … harming people all so that they can serve a handful of billionaires.”

“We’re going to keep pushing this until Donald Trump has finally met with the justice that he deserves,” she vows.