EXCLUSIVE: Tesla Protest Organizer Says 'Elon Musk Seems To Have Purchased The American Government'

A planned nationwide protest known as "Tesla Takeover" is happening on Saturday with the goal of pushing Tesla Inc ( TSLA ) CEO Elon Musk out of the government in his current role helping the Department of Government Efficiency.

An event organizer told Benzinga about the reasons behind the protests, the changes they are advocating for, and their concerns that non-violent protesters are being unfairly linked to violent demonstrators and criticized by Musk and President Donald Trump.

About Tesla Takedown: While many have heard about the keying of Tesla vehicles and lighting Tesla vehicles on fire at a select number of Tesla dealerships across the country, Americans may be unfamiliar with the non-violent Tesla protests happening weekly or biweekly at dealerships.

Adam Sheridan, a volunteer organizer with the Cooper River Indivisible non-profit, told Benzinga that Tesla Takedown is the result of organic growth of nationwide protests.

"Tesla Takedown was something a lot of people were thinking of on their own," Sheridan told Benzinga.

Sheridan said the goal of Tesla Takedown and his group is to get Musk out of the government. On March 29, protests will happen at Tesla dealerships across the country.

Benzinga reached out to Tesla to comment on this story and did not hear back at the time of publication.

"Elon Musk seems to have purchased the American government," Sheridan said.

Believing Musk's influence stems largely from his wealth, particularly through Tesla, protesters chose Tesla dealerships as their primary demonstration sites.

"We wanted to bring that fight directly to the front lines," Sheridan added.

Sheridan said the protests are growing in number and the initial Feb. 22 event had 350 people, blowing past his expectations of 20 people.

"We knew we were onto something there."

Read Also: Tesla Vandalism: No Coordinated Efforts Detected, Experts Dispute Elon Musk And Trump’s Allegations

Fighting Against Elon Musk: Sheridan told Benzinga that it’s important to emphasize that the protest is against Elon Musk, not Tesla, its workers, or its shareholders.

"It's a protest against Elon Musk. What we want is we want Elon Musk out of the government," he said.

Sheridan said that Musk is "unelected" and nobody voted for him in the 2024 election.

The protest organizer said that groups are supportive of electric vehicles and some protestors even drive Tesla vehicles as they can't afford to trade them in currently. Sheridan drives a Ford F-150 Lightning himself and says his wife drives a Honda Prologue.

If Tesla were to fire Musk, Sheridan said the protests might stop and protestors could become customers.

Sheridan also said that hurting Tesla's stock price isn't a goal, noting that Tesla's stock price has been "divorced from market fundamentals" for a while, given its premium price-to-earnings ratio compared to competitors and similar companies.

After several weeks, Sheridan said the protests are "definitely working" and have caught the attention of Musk and others.

Sheridan said the goal is to make the case publicly that Musk is a "malignant influence in our government." The protest organizer cited Musk’s involvement in cuts to programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and the Department of Education.

The March 29 Tesla Takedown Day represents the growth of individual events and the desire to present a united front, Sheridan said.

Who Funds the Protests?: Sheridan said he and other protest leaders get a good laugh out of rumors that billionaires are funding their efforts against Musk.

"It's really funny to us when we hear Elon say George Soros is funding us," Sheridan told Benzinga.

Sheridan said he's been a volunteer for years for various causes and doesn't get paid and even has to pay for his own food and protests signs.

The protest leader brushes off Musk's notion that ActBlue is funding the protests, saying Musk is a smart guy who founded PayPal, which means he should know that ActBlue is a payment processor.

"I know he knows this. He's just spreading the propaganda. His general strategy is just dishonesty."

Non-Violent Protests: Sheridan is quick to highlight the difference between his group and other Tesla protests versus the violent acts being committed at select locations in a limited fashion.

"We absolutely condemn any acts of violence or vandalism," Sheridan said.

Sheridan said his group draws inspiration from the Civil Rights Movement and believes those engaging in violence and vandalism are hurting his and others’ cause.

At Tesla Takedown events and other non-violent protests, guidelines are handed out to participants. Sheridan said there are also de-escalators to manage interactions with counter-protesters and safety personnel to ensure people stay off roads and don't impede traffic.

As the Tesla protests gain steam and get more coverage, Sheridan said concerns about counter-protesters and retaliation have grown.

"We do worry a lot about violence against us."

While many protests against Tesla have remained non-violent, President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have criticized them. Sheridan said the characterization of non-violent protesters as domestic terrorists “fuels people” to continue protesting.

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