An organizer of a Tesla Takedown protest says it’s important to keep the events going to make it clear to Tesla CEO Elon Musk that they are standing up for democracy.
“In the Lower Mainland, we’ve got four Tesla takedown events occurring, Pat McCutcheon told Global News.
“We’ve got one in Kitsilano (on Saturday). We’ve also got one at North Surrey at the Scott Road-104 (Avenue) Tesla showroom. And on Sunday, we have some Tesla takedown events as well, one out here in Langley on the Langley Bypass… there’s also a Tesla takedown event at the new Tesla Service Centre on Raymur (Avenue) in East Vancouver.”
McCutcheon said there are an additional 213 events taking place globally.
“We want to put pressure on Elon Musk with his exorbitant wealth, he has basically bought his way into the White House and is collaborating with (Donald) Trump to dismantle democracy in the United States,” he added.
“If that happens, if they’re successful in doing that, it’s very likely that democracy will crumble in Canada as well.”
Vancouver police announced it is deploying dozens more officers this weekend ahead of some planned and anticipated Tesla protests.
More than 130 additional officers will be deployed throughout the weekend, including members of its specially-trained Public Safety Unit to maintain order.
Police said they have been investigating 28 incidents since Jan. 20 that appear politically motivated and in opposition to Musk’s affiliation with the U.S. government.
Nineteen of the 28 incidents have occurred at dealerships and charging stations. They include hateful words and symbols spray-painted on buildings, eggs thrown at cars, and smashed windshields.
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Police have also linked nine mischief incidents against private vehicles since January with opposition to U.S. politics, Const. Tania Visintin with the Vancouver Police Department explained.
These incidents include rocks and liquid being thrown at cars, wipers being damaged, and racist symbols being written on vehicles.
By comparison, there were no reports of mischief to Tesla dealerships or charging stations at all in 2024, police confirmed.
McCutcheon said the protests are peaceful and they do not condone violence.
“We just want to get the message out there that the way to get to Elon Musk is to collapse the sales of Tesla products,” he added.
“We do not shame any Tesla vehicle owners either. We respect the fact that they probably made a decision a year, two, three years ago. to buy a Tesla product and we don’t have anything against them at all.”
Visintin also said police will not condone violence of any kind.
“While everyone is entitled to express themselves lawfully and peacefully, nobody has the right to use violence, damage property, or intimidate others,” she said.
“There are a number of protests planned this weekend against Tesla, and we’re deploying a heavy police presence to make sure these protests remain lawful.”
Visintin said police understand people are distressed and worried about world events but damaging private property is not a solution.
“We encourage people to express themselves peacefully, lawfully, and with respect for others,” she said.
“Anyone who breaks the law will face arrest and charged.”
Global News spoke to one Tesla owner who said that while he does not agree with what Musk is doing in the White House right now, he doesn’t think targeting the car company is the right answer.
“(My partner) bought the car before Elon went crazy,” Peter Hendriks said.
“In 2019, everybody was thinking electric cars were the future and good for the environment and all of that stuff and I don’t think that’s a bad rhetoric… The politics of the time are just complicated, I guess.”
Protests targeting Tesla properties are among more than a dozen demonstrations and special events that are expected to draw large crowds throughout the city over the weekend.
Global News has also reached out to Tesla for comment, but has not heard back.
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