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Michigan News Source reached out to law enforcement to see if there would be a police presence at either of these locations. We heard back from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office which has Tesla Ann Arbor in its jurisdiction. They said, “The protests to date have been peaceful. We are aware and prepared to provide support, and to protect the protestors and public safety.” The Kentwood Police Department, which would provide support to the Tesla showroom in Grand Rapids, did not return our request for comment.

Who’s behind the Elon Musk hate?

One of the early coordinators of the Tesla Takedown spectacle is Edward Niedermeyer who told Fortune, “The goal, I would say, is to bankrupt Elon Musk – bring down his empire.”

However, trying to take down Musk isn’t something new to Niedermeyer, who was anti-Musk long before the billionaire stepped into politics and became the leader of DOGE. Their contentious relationship began with Niedermeyer’s investigative reporting and critiques of Tesla’s business practices. In 2019, he published “Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors,” which scrutinizes Tesla’s operations and Musk’s leadership, alleging a disconnect between the company’s public image and its internal realities.

Sponsors of the “Takedown.”

Two radical progressive groups – Troublemakers and the Disruption Project – are listed as sponsors of the Takedown event, according to its website.

Troublemakers, based in Seattle, is a radical environmental organization committed to taking “action for life on Earth.” They have been actively involved in organizing protests at Tesla dealerships, aiming to challenge Musk’s influence in the federal government. Their activities have included encouraging individuals to boycott Tesla, sell their vehicles, and dump Tesla stock.

The Disruption Project, registered in Philadelphia, describes the organization as “Dedicated to supporting uprisings, resistance and mass direct action.” They proclaim, “Our belief is that when mass numbers of people stand up and take action against the unjust systems of racial capitalism, the heteropatriarchy, white supremacy and settler colonialism, we have the ability to force ruptures and dismantle these systems.”

Other groups involved in taking down Tesla, according to the New York Post, include George Soros- funded Rise & Resist, Indivisible Project and Democratic Socialists of America.

The protesters’ voices.

A Michigan-area Tesla activist, Hank Kennedy, recently shared his anti-Tesla event coordination advice with New Politics where he describes how easy it is to set-up an event and encourages other socialists to do so. The Detroit area educator and socialist said, “Socialists should take a leading role in organizing these protests.” This organizer of a Tesla Takedown event in Troy said. “Opposing Musk gives socialists the opportunity to highlight the century-plus long link between fascism and big business.”

Kennedy added that Musk is a “Eminently hateable figure. He is anti-union. He promotes anti-Semitism. He spews hatred against transgender people. He throws out “Sieg Heils” like they were candy. He is the personification of a decaying system. He is the perfect target for anyone looking to pick a fight with modern capitalism.”

Bankrupting Musk is the goal.

Meanwhile, in the western side of the United States in Arizona, protesters want to make sure they do everything they can to bankrupt Elon Musk. Protester Gail Graves told AZ Central, “We want Musk’s pocket to start feeling like what he’s doing to us.”

Protester Sophia Marjanovic, who has been leading the Tesla protests for the past month, said the goal is to hurt Musk financially as long as he continues to influence American politics. “If he keeps disrupting our government, we’re going to continue disrupting his businesses.”

Musk only owns about 13% of Tesla.

What the protesters most likely don’t know is that Elon Musk, co-founder and chairman of Tesla, only owns approximately 12% to 13% of Tesla’s outstanding shares, reflecting his direct stock ownership. That equates to over 410 million shares, according to sources like Investopedia and WallStreetZen. When factoring in options from his compensation package, his potential stake fluctuates and could reach 20.5%. Some of the other stakeholders in Tesla reportedly include major investment firms such as The Vanguard Group and BlackRock Inc.

Mostly peaceful in Michigan – so far.

So far, Michigan’s protests have mostly stayed in the realm of civil disobedience – but with a pattern of violence erupting in other states, it’s fair to wonder: what’s the next step up the activist ladder? Will the protesters be vandalizing individually owned Tesla cars sitting in driveways? Or will they be camping outside Elon Musk’s house like progressives did with University of Michigan regents and Supreme Court justices? Maybe flash mobs at SpaceX launches are next on their to-do list? With their anti-Musk agenda just getting off the ground, it’s anyone’s guess if, when and how they will escalate their behavior.

From saving the planet to scorching the narrative.

The Tesla Takedown crowd is a walking contradiction. After a decade of pushing EVs to “save the planet,” the Left is now turning them into political piñatas. If the goal is to fight climate change, torching zero-emission vehicles seems like an odd place to start.

Then again, consistency has never been a strong suit for professional protesters. Whether it’s Elon Musk’s social media posts, his politics, or just his refusal to play nice with government subsidies, the mission of the Left seems less about economic and social justice and more about vengeance.