The anti-Elon Musk ‘Tesla Takedown’ protest movement that started in the U.S. has spread to the UK, with demonstrations outside Tesla showrooms in London and Manchester.
It’s part of a growing backlash against Musk and his support for U.S. president Donald Trump.
CGTN’s Rahul Pathak went to one of the protests.
Read this piece in full ⬇️
https://tinyurl.com/4m7wzyye
It’s part of a growing backlash against Musk and his support for U.S. president Donald Trump.
CGTN’s Rahul Pathak went to one of the protests.
Read this piece in full ⬇️
https://tinyurl.com/4m7wzyye
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NewsTranscript
00:00Well what began as a grassroots campaign in the United States has seemingly taken root right here in the UK.
00:06Now the organisers behind the Tesla takedown protest say they want to stop Elon Musk using his vast wealth and social media influence
00:14to support the agenda of Donald Trump and far-right figures in the UK.
00:18They say the best way to do that is to hit him where it hurts, his wallet, or more accurately the Tesla share price,
00:24which has reportedly lost more than 45% since the beginning of the year.
00:28So I think he had very effective PR which portrayed him as this kind of sort of Tony Stark, super genius,
00:35who founded Tesla even though he didn't found it, he just bought it.
00:39And at some point I think he became high on his own PR and began to show who he actually was, which was a mistake.
00:48My grandfather was in the Second World War and he died fighting fascism.
00:53Funnily enough he was a South African.
00:55And now we have Elon Musk as a South African who seems to be making Nazi salutes.
01:02I think Elon was never about saving the environment.
01:06Elon is always about self-enrichment and what works for him.
01:10Well last year Elon Musk's decision to support Donald Trump looked to have literally paid dividends
01:16shooting up to more than $435 per share in December in the wake of Donald Trump's re-election to the White House.
01:23Since then it seems his relationship with Trump and his activities at the US Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE,
01:29has angered people who've traditionally bought his cars.
01:32Sales are down in many key markets in Europe, particularly in Germany,
01:36although in the UK that seemed to buck that trend with a 20% increase in February.
01:40Demonstrators are hoping that protesters will sway opinion against Tesla
01:44and they say they are planning many more protests in the weeks to come.
01:47Rahul Pathak, CDTN, London.