Above photo: Tesla Takedown Boycott action is largest ever in week five. John Zangas/ DCMediaGroup.
Arlington Virginia—On week five of the Tesla Takedown protests one could be led to believe a block party was in full swing outside the Tesla dealership in Arlington, Virginia. Many went with their signs and banners but some brought sound systems with playlists and boomed the line with resistance dance music. And the music was in the right key of freedom to dance. Someone even brought a case of Budweiser nonalcoholic energy drinks in the classic aluminum cans.
The community got a large share of favorability ratings from passersby honking their support and thumbs up for the block long protest line. The protesters were near capacity on the sidewalk outside the dealership. One woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty. A man wore a brown shirt and pants with Elon Musk references symbolizing Hitler’s Nazi Germany. See video.
The grassroots leaderless Tesla Takedown action is in its fifth week with no signs of slowing. And the community is feeling good about what they are doing although they are not happy about why they’re doing it. Elon Musk’s car company is the target but ironically protesters target it by ignoring it altogether and concentrate on encouraging the public towards a national boycott of his electric vehicles. And it’s working.
Sales have plummeted in the U.S. as well as internationally. Prominent figures have announced they are selling their Teslas. The latest high profile online promise to sell their Tesla was Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who said in a self-recorded online post, “Elon Musk kind of turned out to be an asshole and I don’t want to be driving a car built and designed by an asshole.” Cheryl Crowe announced online she too was getting rid of her Tesla and watched as it was towed away. She contributed to sale proceeds to National Public Radio.
Tesla cars have become politically taboo because Elon Musk has become politically toxic.
There were scores more this week at all the Tesla Takedown actions outside area dealerships than in all the previous actions last month. In Rockville MD and at Tyson’s Corner, Virginia as well as Washington DC, record crowds showed up for the Tesla Takedown protests. They were attended by good spirted participants and there were no incidents involving any kind of property damage.