Elon Musk’s expanding control in the U.S. government and Neo-Nazi controversy has sparked protests across Tesla dealerships in Minnesota.
In the past month, the Greater Twin Cities has had three protests against Musk’s role in the government, with some claiming that he has power equivalent to that of the president. Two of these protests have been officially structured as “Hands Off!” protests, with one in Edina and another at the Minnesota Capitol. These protests were organized as a mass mobilization on April 5, joining over 1,400 events throughout the country.
There was also an unstructured mobilization at the Golden Valley Tesla dealership; beginning with a single protester in mid-February, there are now 500 people protesting at the dealership weekly.
Nationally, these protests have led to vandalization where Tesla cars and dealerships were damaged.
These protests can cause division among Tesla owners. Senior Summer Wang doesn’t agree with Musk’s actions within the federal government.
“Obviously, I don’t feel good about his actions; I wish I didn’t own his car,” Wang said.
Wang wasn’t aware of Musk’s actions when her family bought the car, incentivized by the environmental benefits of an electric vehicle. “We bought the Tesla five years ago, which isn’t an excuse, but you could save the planet [with an electric vehicle],” Wang said.
Wang isn’t alone—senior Anoushka Jha also doesn’t support Musk’s actions.
“They make me feel really bad, and I really do not support anything he says or does. My dad bought the Tesla back in 2018, way before we knew the extent to which his abilities go,” Jha said.
Jha also feels that the vandalizations are not the best solution.
“I completely sympathize with all the thoughts and sentiments and the feelings that are behind it, but being a Tesla owner myself, I don’t know if I want my car vandalized. Just because you own a Tesla doesn’t mean you support Elon Musk,” Jha said.
This has led many Tesla owners to come up with solutions to disassociate themselves from Musk. Jha uses a magnet affixed to her bumper, sporting the word “Elon” crossed out.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on May 8, 2025
