Tesla protests continue across the country, including in Charlotte
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Protesters wave anti-DOGE signs outside a Tesla dealership in Matthews off of Independence Boulevard. Photo: Kim Taylor
Protests against Elon Musk's Tesla have been going on across the country for weeks, and organizers say they don't plan to stop until their message is heard.
Why it matters: Tesla has become the focal point of frustration that an unelected billionaire is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), cutting government agency positions and resources in the process.
The other side: DOGE supporters see Musk's methods as an efficient way to cut government waste and slash federal regulations.
State of play: A #TeslaTakedown movement encourages people to people to sell their Tesla vehicles, get rid of their stock in the company as a way to "stop Musk now," according to its website.
- There are also organizations like Indivisible Charlotte, which have helped organize Tesla protests locally in front of the Matthews dealership off Independence Boulevard.
- Indivisible Charlotte, a local advocacy group for civic engagement, stays off Tesla's property and protests are peaceful, Indivisible Charlotte volunteer Linda Meigs tells Axios.
- These protests are a "direct response to DOGE and the destruction that DOGE is creating within our support systems in the country," Rachelle Salo, Indivisible Charlotte mobilization director, tells Axios.
The latest: 115 people attended Saturday's protest in Matthews, including many first-time protestsers, Meigs tells Axios. The crowd was enthusiastic and most of the people who passed by were supportive she says.
Zoom in: DOGE's "move fast, break things" style has left some people frustrated.
- Musk is "claiming that he's sniffing out waste and making sure that everything is running efficiently," Meigs says. "There is a Government Accountability Office (the GAO) that is independent, nonpartisan, and that is its job."
- GAO "examines how taxpayer dollars are spent and provides Congress and federal agencies with objective, non-partisan, fact-based information to help the government save money and work more efficiently," according to its website. It's then up to Congress to implement changes.
Between the lines: DOGE cuts have been felt across the board, including Social Security.
- Meigs tells Axios she worked for decades as a public school teacher and has since retired. Social Security accounts for half of her retirement.
- "If that goes away because he disagrees with because he, a billionaire, thinks it's the greatest Ponzi scheme, I disagree with that," Meigs says.
Zoom out: Protests in Charlotte typically draw around 90-115 people.
- Indivisible Charlotte isn't organizing this weekend's #TeslaTakedown protest, but they will have a presence there.
- Indivisible Charlotte will also hold a rally from 11am-1pm Saturday, April 5, at Charlotte Mecklenburg County Social Services Department. Salo tells Axios the rally will include a march down Randolph Road toward the Mint Museum Randolph and back. The march will represent things people stand to lose, from the arts to medical and social services, Salo says.
The bottom line: "We will continue [to protest] as long as it is a relevant and strategic way to put pressure on the administration for what we believe are the unconstitutional ways they are moving," Salo says.
Go deeper: Tesla falls after Commerce secretary recommends buying stock
Editor's note: This story was originally published on March 27 and was updated on March 30 to include details about the March 29 protest.