The organizers of “Tesla Takedown” have promised the largest day of the world action this weekend, encouraging thousands to protest outside Tesla exhibitions, delegations and even billing stations to oppose the role of Elon Musk.
As the Tesla protests have spread, it also has the reaction. The activists holding the signs are combined with vandals who throw Molotov cocktails. In the social media and in Washington the distinction fades quickly.
President Donald Trump called on Tesla “domestic terrorism” and threatened to send “terrorist criminals” to prisons in El Salvador. US Attorney General Pam Bondi pledged to persecute “those who work behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes” even though show evidence The attacks were carried out by “lonely offenders”. And Musk’s decision to blame at least one peaceful demonstrator “Crime commitments“The x has fed a public discourse This is equivalent to protest with vandalism and vandalism with terrorism.
If the government or law enforcement begins to deal with all anti-sea actions as criminal, peaceful protesters could be confronted with consequences for extremists.
“Terrorism is a problematic concept in law enforcement, because by definition it is different from other violence from its political nature,” Mike German, a former FBI specialist and a colleague in the Liberty and National Security program of Brennan Center, told TechCrunch. “That is why we have seen anti -terrorism measures so often leading to problematic effects that aim at the political rights of people involved in the first amendment of activity rather than the people who commit acts of violence.”
Demonstrators Tesla Takedown have firmly declared non -violence in concentrations and in them website. The declared goal of the movement is not to hurt Tesla or Musk naturally, but to encourage people to sell their Teslas, sell their stock and stop buying new Teslas.
‘The reason [Musk] It is in its position is because of its wealth and we feel that if we can continue to drive that the price of Tesla is reduced, we will hit it where it matters, “Natasha Purdum, a New Jersey organizer, Techcrunch.
Musk is the richest person in the world to a large extent because of Tesla’s stock. It has about 13% of the company, which is currently estimated at about $ 829 billion, making a share of the musk worth about $ 107.8 billion. This wealth allowed Musk to spend $ 44 billion to buy Twitter, the main platform he uses to communicate with his 219 million fans. Musk has also been immersed in his own funds to donate more than $ 260 million to America PAC that helped Trump fasten the elections.
As someone who spent 16 years as a specialist FBI agent focused on domestic terrorism, the German says he will not be surprised to see the local police hand working with a glove with terrorist work – such as what just formed the FBI – To watch the Tesla Takedown protests. Per Instructions of the Attorney GeneralThe FBI does not require a real basis for suspicion of terrorism to begin to carry out physical surveillance, which includes taking pictures of people, cars and signs, the development of informants to penetrate a group, access to private databases and much more.
“It is also important to understand that law enforcement in the United States is mainly aimed at protecting the ownership of the rich,” the German said. “Companies in the United States are politically strong and have access to elected officials and leading law enforcement officials and when their interests are challenged, especially by protest, they want to present it as a law enforcement issue and not as legal concerns.”
The FBI refused to comment on TechCrunch’s question about whether the organization is taking over any special action this weekend.
‘We’ll go after them’
Musk and Trump’s administration have accelerated their rhetoric to the lead until March 29, when at least 213 Tesla Takedown protests have been planned worldwide by Colorado and Kentucky in Germany, Minnesota, France and Texas.
On Thursday, Musk appeared in Fox News’ “special exhibition” to say that he and Trump are going to “go after … those who provide money, those who push lies and propaganda”.
Trump suggested that attacks on Tesla ownership were tuned to intimidate Musk, despite the internal evaluations they find different. Musk also claimed, without showing proof, that some Tesla Takedown organizers were funded by ActBlueA non -profit organization that funds progressive causes and democratic candidates.
And Bondi blamed Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) of “demanding further uprising”, after Crockett said Musk had to be “removed” in a virtual rally of Tesla Takedown last week. Crockett wrote this statement with calls for non -violence and peaceful demonstrations, but independently, Bondi said he should “Walk very carefully. ”
German says that this rhetoric is also an old government trick to try to defame and suppress protest movements, arguing that “a handful of acts of violence is the result of the spread of bad ideas, radical ideas”.
Purdum, one of Tesla’s organizers, informed the protesters to put their well -being first. Leave if you feel insecure, cling to local protest regulations, do not violate, follow police orders and have the lawyer’s number in your back pocket only if he said.
“Authoritarian regimes have a long history to equate the peaceful protest with violence,” said Stephanie Frizzell, Tesla Takedown organizer from Dallas. “The Tesla Takedown movement has always been and will remain non -violent.
