() Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Tesla dealerships across the United States and parts of Europe on Saturday, voicing opposition to Elon Musk’s role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and his influence within the Trump administration.

The coordinated protests aimed to impact Tesla’s stock price and sales, with organizers hoping to diminish the fortune of the world’s richest man, whose wealth is largely tied to his Tesla holdings.

“All of the stuff that he’s doing with DOGE that’s affecting millions and millions of people in their jobs, but also the ramifications for the rest of the country. They’re killing the country one blow at a time,” said Irene Miles, a protester in Chicago.

Crowds ranging from dozens to hundreds gathered at Tesla showrooms and service centers in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota, Texas and other states.

Similar demonstrations, though smaller in scale, were reported across Europe.

Concerns over government cuts and conflicts of interest

Protesters expressed concerns about Musk’s dual role running Tesla while simultaneously leading DOGE, through which he has shuttered entire government agencies to slash federal spending.

“What is happening now is not an investigation. It’s just a destruction of our government, and we can’t stand aside and just let it happen,” said Scott Houldie, another Chicago protester.

Earlier this month, Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the White House criticizing President Donald Trump and Musk for removing government officials who were investigating Musk’s companies.

The billionaire spent more than $200 million helping Trump get elected, while his rocket company SpaceX holds $22 billion in federal government contracts.

Counter-protesters defend Tesla and Musk

Not everyone agreed with the protests. Some counter-demonstrators argued that the movement primarily hurts American workers.

“The only thing they’re hurting is the employees in there and the American employees that have manufacturing,” said Jake, a counter-protester. “You can protest Elon Musk, but not the employees, not the car owners.”

Another counter-protester in Austin, Abraham Garapadi, said: “We love DOGE. We love Elon. We love Tesla. We are fighting for the American taxpayers, American shareholders, American job holders.”

Escalating tensions

A coalition including disillusioned Tesla owners, celebrities like actor John Cusack and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, organized the Tesla Takedown movement.

While organizers stressed the importance of peaceful demonstrations, tensions have escalated in recent weeks. Some opponents of Musk have set Tesla vehicles on fire and committed acts of vandalism that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has characterized as domestic terrorism.

In Germany, police were investigating a fire that destroyed seven Tesla vehicles early Saturday, though it was unclear if the incident was related to the protests.

Impact on Tesla’s business

Tesla’s stock has faced volatility since Trump’s election. Despite initial gains of 70% between the November election and January inauguration, most of those increases have evaporated amid concerns about the Tesla backlash, declining sales in major markets and Musk’s divided attention.

Many Tesla owners who purchased vehicles before Musk’s DOGE appointment have reportedly been looking to sell or trade in their cars, while others have added bumper stickers distancing themselves from Musk’s government activities.

Despite these challenges, Musk recently assured Tesla employees that the company’s Model Y would remain “the best-selling car on Earth again this year” and predicted Tesla will have sold more than 10 million cars worldwide by next year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.