7:36 am, March 17, 2025
Tesla showrooms have been targeted by protestors who are calling for a boycott on the brand in response to Elon Musk’s increased political involvement.
Demonstrators gathered outside the outfit’s Park Royal centre on Saturday, holding up placards and chanting to passing cars.
Organisers’s signs carried messages including ‘honk if you hate Elon’ as they encouraged want Tesla owners to sell their cars and for people to dump stock.
Despite the apparent disruption, the dealership carried on operating as normal on Saturday, with staff appearing oblivious to the goings on outside.
It comes just days after two Just Stop Oil protesters were arrested after pouring orange powdered paint over a robot at a Tesla shop in Shepherd’s Bush.
The Metropolitan Police says that retired teacher Catherine Rennie Nash, 74, and former tax adviser Nigel Fleming, 63, climbed on to a podium display in the store and unfurled a Just Stop Oil banner.
🚨 BREAKING: MUSK’S TESLABOT TURNED ORANGE
🔥 2 Just Stop Oil supporters have poured orange liquid latex over an Optimus robot in Westfield.
➡️ Shut down the fascists. Sign up to take action: https://t.co/guLYY5sk5C
Footage: Jamie Lowe pic.twitter.com/TqZLbGB5Wk
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) March 12, 2025
That protest was said to be in response to Musk and other billionaires ‘jeopardising climate science’ and threatening democracy.
Meanwhile, posts on social media suggest that Tesla’s St Albans centre has also been targeted.
Signs, which appear to show Musk giving a Nazi solute, were placed in the window of the showroom, along with the words ‘your local Swastica showroom’.
Tesla has also been a target of protests and vandalism in America in recent weeks.
Police in Oregon said they are working with the FBI to investigate gunshots fired at a Tesla dealership.
The shooting came a week after federal prosecutors in Denver charged a woman in connection with vandalism against a Tesla dealership in Colorado, including Molotov cocktails being thrown at vehicles and the words ‘Nazi cars’ spray-painted on the building.
Speaking at Car Dealer Live last week, former Nissan and Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer said that Musk had caused ‘self-inflicted damage‘ on the Tesla brand with his recent activity.
The comments came after research revealed that Brits are being put off buying Teslas as a result of Musk’s increased political involvement.
