Protesters rally outside of a Tesla store in Boston, Saturday, March 1, 2025, against the company's CEO, Elon Musk, who is leading an effort to cut government jobs on behalf of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi)2025-03-02T00:01:38Z BOSTON (AP) Demonstrators gathered outside Tesla stores across the U.S. Saturday to protest the automakers billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, and his push to slash government spending on behalf of President Donald Trump. The demonstrations are part of a growing backlash in North America and Europe to Musks disruptive role in Washington. Critics of Trump and Musk hope to discourage and stigmatize purchases of Tesla, the electric car company that is the worlds most valuable automaker. Liberal groups for weeks have organized anti-Tesla protests in hopes of galvanizing opposition to Musks Department of Government Efficiency and energizing Democrats still demoralized by Trumps November victory.We can get back at Elon, said Nathan Phillips, a 58-year-old ecologist from Newton, Massachusetts, who was protesting in Boston on Saturday. We can impose direct economic damage on Tesla by showing up at showrooms everywhere and boycotting Tesla and telling everyone else to get out, sell your stocks, sell your Teslas. Musk is taking direction from Trump to slash federal spending and sharply reduce the workforce, arguing that Trumps victory gave the president and him a mandate to restructure the U.S. government. DOGE officials have swiftly gained access to sensitive databases, directed thousands of federal job cuts, canceled contracts and shut down sections of the government, including the U.S. Agency for International Development. Musks critics say his actions defy Congresss power to control the U.S. budget and present a host of ways for him to enrich himself. Musk leads several other companies, notably SpaceX, which conducts launches for NASA and the intelligence community, and the social media platform X. Tesla and the White House did not respond to emailed requests for comment Saturday. More than 50 demonstrations were listed Saturday on the website Tesla Takedown, with more planned later in March from coast to coast in the United States along with England, Spain and Portugal. News reports showed demonstrations in recent days in U.S. cities including Tucson, Arizona; St. Louis; New York City; Dayton, Ohio; Charlotte; and Palo Alto, California. Some Tesla owners have also reported their vehicles vandalized with spray painted swastikas amid what Jewish groups and observers fear is a rise in antisemitism.Federal prosecutors charged a woman in connection with a string of vandalism against a Colorado Tesla dealership, which included Molotov cocktails being thrown at vehicles and the words Nazi cars spray painted on the building.Saturdays demonstration in Boston had a festive atmosphere, with a brass band playing music as protestors carried signs and chanted. Several of the signs mocked Musk and DOGE, with one reading: Stop Elon and his despicable Muskrats. This government led by Trump and Musk, its gone completely off the rails and we are here to stop that, said Carina Campovasso, a retired federal worker. And I hope they listen.About 300 demonstrators protested at a Tesla dealership in New York City on Saturday. Police said nine people were taken into custody but did not elaborate on the charges they faced.Teslas share price has fallen by nearly a third since Trump took office, though its still higher than it was a year ago. Musks current net worth is an estimated $359 billion, according to Forbes, which calculated his 2024 net worth as $195 billion. ___Cooper reported from Phoenix. Patrick Whittle contributed from Scarborough, Maine. JONATHAN J. COOPER Cooper writes about national politics from Arizona and beyond for The Associated Press. Now based in Phoenix, he previously covered politics in Oregon and California. twitter mailto