8:22 am, January 24, 2025
Tesla’s German gigafactory has been targeted by a British political campaign group which has projected an image of Elon Musk making a hand gesture, that some interpreted as a Nazi salute, onto the side of the building.
The demonstration saw the words ‘Heil Tesa’ beamed onto the factory’s facade, alongside an image of the world’s richest man making the gesture during a speech celebrating new US president Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Musk’s speech at a rally on Monday saw him thank Mr Trump’s supporters before slapping his hand on his chest and extending his arm straight outward and upward with his palm facing downwards.
Critics have since accused the Tesla boss of making a Nazi salute, something which he has since denied on X.
The projection was created by British political campaign group Led By Donkeys alongside activist group Centre for Political Beauty in Germany, who claim Mr Musk is using his wealth as Tesla owner to ‘degrade democracy’.
The campaign groups also accused Musk of supporting far-right activists in a video, which included several of his tweets, that was also beamed onto the Tesla building.
The world’s richest man @elonmusk is promoting the far right in Europe. Don’t buy a @Tesla.
Location: Tesla Gigafactory, Berlin.
(In collaboration with @politicalbeauty) pic.twitter.com/xaacsX4Qw4— Led By Donkeys (@ByDonkeys) January 23, 2025
A spokesperson for Led By Donkeys told the PA news agency: ‘Musk is using his wealth from Tesla to back far-right parties and degrade democracy.
‘He shouldn’t be surprised if people don’t fancy driving round in his cars for much longer.
‘Increasingly it’s not a great look.’
Responding to claims the gesture was a Nazi salute, Mr Musk posted on the platform he owns, X – formerly Twitter, this week: ‘Frankly, they need better dirty tricks.
‘The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.’
Frankly, they need better dirty tricks.
The “everyone is Hitler” attack is sooo tired 😴 https://t.co/9fIqS5mWA0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2025
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Sir Keir Starmer would not be happy were any of his ministers to make a Nazi salute, but he would not be drawn into saying whether he believed Mr Musk’s gesture was an example of it.
‘It is clearly for the individual to defend his own actions,’ the Prime Minister’s spokesman said.
‘When it comes to the Government’s position on these issues, you have heard the Prime Minister speak passionately about his visit to Auschwitz and our plans ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day.’
