Politics & Government
Protest Against Elon Musk Held At Tesla Facility In King Of Prussia
Signs reading "SWASTI-CAR" were waved at a large local demonstration against the billionaire's influence in American government.
NORRISTOWN, PA — A large group of protesters voicing their opposition to billionaire Elon Musk and his role in American government demonstrated at a Tesla facility in King of Prussia over the weekend.
Dozens of protesters lined the road Saturday near the auto dealer's collision and repair building on South Henderson Road, waving signs reading "ELON-LIAR-THIEF" and "SWASTI-CAR," referencing Musk's hand gesture at an event earlier this year widely seen as a Nazi salute.
It was part of the international Tesla Takedown Day of Action, a series of coordinated protests at Musk-owned or affiliated businesses around the world.
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"King of Prussia doesn't mess around," organizers Upper Merion Indivisible said. "We will not stand by for Musk's hostile takeover of America."
Specifically, organizers targeted Musk for his outsized power in President Trump's administration and for his role in federal funding cuts, which they say have defunded essential programs. Musk has long maintained his position in the Trump administration as head of the Department of Governmental Efficiency is essential to eliminating government waste.
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Protesters received support from some local officials, including State Sen. Amanda Cappelletti.
"I commend all Americans who are standing up for our rule of law and the future of our nation," Cappelletti said in a statement Monday. "The unprecedented access the government is granting to a private individual - an unelected billionaire whose companies have received over $18 billion in federal contracts over the past decade - should concern every American."
Protesters urged the public to avoid Tesla products, with signs reading that "supporting Tesla is bad for democracy."
Participants told Patch that the protest was peaceful and confined to public spaces on the sidewalk and road outside of the Tesla facility, and that protesters were ordered to stay away from the business itself.
Tesla did not respond to a request from Patch for comment on this story.
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