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Protesters line streets outside Tesla dealership
In Phoenix, protesters took to the streets outside one of Elon Musk's Tesla dealerships to express their disapproval of the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Musk.
PHOENIX - Protests against Elon Musk are breaking out across the country, and that includes the Phoenix area, where people took to the sidewalks on March 29 around a Tesla dealership to stand against Musk and DOGE.
The backstory:
According to an article by the Associated Press, protesters in the U.S. and in some European cities on March 29 were trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk’s role as the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has gained access to sensitive data and shuttered entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending.
Musk and members of his DOGE team, during a sit-down with Fox News' Brett Baier, said they're confident they'll find a trillion dollars worth of waste, fraud and abuse. Meanwhile, Democrats say the Trump administration hasn't shown any proof.
Per a report by Forbes, Musk's net worth fell by $121.2 billion from Dec. 17 to March 6, as a result of the market reacting to President Donald Trump's tariff plans.
Meanwhile, FBI officials said they have launched a specialized task force to investigate what is described as "a series of coordinated attacks on Tesla vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations across the United States," and the agency is treating the violence as acts of domestic terrorism.
Local perspective:
In Phoenix, the protest was organized by Northwest Valley Indivisible, which says it's a local, all-volunteer organization that is protesting the "destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies."
"Elon Musk claims that he is there for efficiency when, in actuality, he's taken that chainsaw instead of a scalpel to necessary services," said Brent Peak, Co-chair of Northwest Valley Indivisible.
The campaign is calling for people to sell their Tesla vehicles and stocks to denounce Musk.
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Drivers caught in the middle of 'Tesla takedown'
More than 200 protests have hit Tesla dealerships this weekend in the U.S. and other countries in connection with recent political controversies involving company owner Elon Musk, and FOX 10's Kenzie Beach has more on what Tesla car owners think about the protests, as well as its impacts.
The other side:
But on the other side of 19th Avenue, supporters of Elon Musk and the Trump administration say this is what they voted for.
"What Musk is doing and what Trump is doing is making the federal government smaller and giving power back to the states. That's why he's eliminating the Department of Education on the federal level and giving it back to the states. Then that will come back to the communities," said Vietnam War combat veteran Mark Del Maestro.
Meanwhile, Tesla drivers we spoke to in the Phoenix area said they are not going to let the protests keep them from driving their cars, nor will they live in fear.
"At the end of the day, It’s like I'm still gonna drive my Tesla, and I’m actually gonna get a Cybertruck," said Michelle Lopez.
However, some drivers did say they feel like they have been put in the middle.
"It’s not targeted to the right people," said Wendy Camarena. "We are you. We drive a car just like you, and if it was a Toyota or another name brand car, how would you feel?"