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By Sophie Clark
Live News Reporter
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Mass protests across the country are being scheduled for Tesla CEO Elon Musk's birthday on June 28, led by the Tesla Takedown movement.
Despite no longer being part of the government, Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) policies and his continued impact as a private citizen are still being felt across the country, from mass governmental layoffs to his involvement in running companies with large government contracts.
The "Musk Must Fall" protests are planned for cities across the country, including in "red" states of Texas, Missouri, Georgia, and Ohio, with the Tesla Takedown team saying: "And our birthday gift to the Broligarch in Chief? A global party with one powerful message: Musk Must Fall."
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One Tesla Takedown group in Los Angeles called Dance Against DOGE told Newsweek they will be serving cake on June 28 at their protest event.
Melissa Knutson, a member of Dance Against DOGE, told Newsweek: "The Tesla Takedown movement was created to draw attention to the havoc DOGE has wrought while putting financial pressure on Musk to drop out of government.
"The Takedowns are a great on-ramp for people who have never protested before. When someone sees people like themselves participating, they are more likely to join. We've had people show up who have never done any public action. But Musk is such a cartoonish villain, he's an easy foil."
Tesla has been contacted via email for comment.
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Why It Matters
Musk retains a lot of power over global politics as he is capable of endless donations to political parties and aiding in message amplification as the owner of X (formerly Twitter).
According to public polls, he was an unpopular member of the Trump administration and, since leaving, has been in a public feud with President Donald Trump. Despite some political commentators recommending that Democrats try to win Musk and his billions over to their side, these protests show that Musk is still a deeply unpopular figure in American politics.
What To Know
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Protests are planned for June 28 in 15 states: Virginia, California, Washington, Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, Idaho, Ohio, Missouri, as well as the District of Columbia. There are also protests planned overseas in the UK.
These protests come amid a social media spat between President Trump and Musk. Musk has accused Trump of not being able to win the election without him, and Trump has threatened to pull government money for Musk's companies, such as SpaceX and Starlink.
The Tesla Takedown team disputes the idea that Musk is no longer part of the current administration, saying: "Elon is still deeply tied to the Trump regime, still fueling conspiracies and fascist rhetoric, and still using his immense wealth to warp government policy and buy elections around the globe."
Knutson told Newsweek: "Musk's 'leaving' doesn't change anything. His DOGE minions are still embedded in the U.S. government, doing who knows what with our private data. We also focus on the Trump regime's disastrous policies of cutting social services to give tax breaks to his other billionaire friends. This massive transfer of wealth to the top .01 percent does nothing to address the problems facing working families; issues like high costs and shrinking opportunities as AI takes over our lives."
These protests have been occurring outside of Tesla showrooms since Trump was inaugurated on January 20. Tesla Takedown is a non-violent movement and is not related to incidents in the U.S. where some Tesla cars and dealerships have been vandalized.
The Trump administration has said that Tesla vandalism is "domestic terrorism," and the FBI has launched a task force to target attacks on Teslas and their dealerships.
What People Are Saying
Melissa Knutson, a member of Dance Against DOGE, told Newsweek: "Tesla Takedown has been a huge success. Ordinary working people told the 'richest' man in the world (on paper) that his 'services' weren't wanted and to get out of our government. He's since crawled back to his ketamine den, a few billion poorer and his brand in tatters. Protest works."
Tesla Takedown: "On June 28—Elon's birthday—let's celebrate everything we've achieved and recommit to the long fight still ahead."
An FBI spokesperson told Newsweek for a previous article: "The FBI is committed to protecting the U.S. from many threats including terrorism, violent crime, drug trafficking, and cyberattacks. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners here in the U.S. and internationally to detect and counter potential dangers. All our work is focused on providing safer communities for our citizens every day."
What Happens Next
The protests will take place on June 28. Other anti-Trump protests are planned for June 14, Trump's birthday.
Update 6/10/25, 4:34 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Melissa Knutson, a member of Dance Against DOGE.
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