British ColumbiaDozens of people braved the rain Saturday to protest outside of Metro Vancouver Tesla dealerships, as part of a “global day of action” against the electric carmaker’s CEO, Elon Musk.Protest came on ‘global day of action’ against Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is closely linked to U.S. presidentCBC News · Posted: Mar 29, 2025 6:11 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoDozens came out to protest Tesla and CEO Elon Musk in Vancouver on Saturday, on what was dubbed the ‘Tesla Takedown Global Day of Action.’ (Murray Titus/CBC)Dozens of people braved the rain Saturday to protest outside of Metro Vancouver Tesla dealerships, as part of a “global day of action” against the electric carmaker’s CEO, Elon Musk.Musk is a close confidant of U.S. President Donald Trump in his role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, which has implemented sweeping cuts to the United State’s civil service.Amid a U.S.-Canada trade war that has had chilling effects on bilateral relationships, Tesla dealerships and cars have seen protests and vandalism in recent weeks, and the company’s products have been excluded from B.C.’s electric vehicle rebate programs.On Saturday, protests against Musk and his company were organized around the world as part of what was dubbed the Tesla Takedown’s Global Day of Action, with four demonstrations planned at Tesla dealerships in Vancouver and Surrey.Joellen Housego says Canada has to stand on guard and educate itself about the danger of hate and anti-progressive values. (Murray Titus/CBC)At one such dealership, in Vancouver’s Fairview neighbourhood, passing drivers loudly honked their horns and protesters held up signs denouncing Musk, accusing him of promoting an atmosphere of hate and authoritarianism.”My late mother and my 94-year-old father fought for people’s rights and freedoms, for progressive values, all their lives,” said teacher Joellen Housego. “My dad’s in a wheelchair now, and my mom passed away about a year ago.”So I’m here for them to stand up for what they believed in and what I believe in, and to protect people who are vulnerable.”Musk is a self-described “free speech absolutist” who has faced criticism from hate-speech watchdogs for allowing extremist, dangerous and antisemitic comments to flourish on X, the social media platform that he owns.Juan Pablo Alperin, who helped organize the Vancouver protest, says it was meant to be peaceful in nature, and denounced violence against Tesla employees and drivers. (Murray Titus/CBC)Juan Pablo Alperin, who was one of the main organizers of the Vancouver protest, said social media platforms are being used to promote division and stoke hate.And while he said he supports protest, Alperin denounced vandalism and violence directed at Tesla owners and dealerships in recent weeks, saying he feels bad that some employees and drivers have been caught in the backlash.According to the Vancouver Police Department, there have been 28 vandalism reports connected to Tesla made since Jan. 20, including spray-painted slurs, smashed windshields and rocks thrown at private vehicles — up from zero such reports in all of 2024.The Fairview dealership where the Saturday protest occurred was itself a target of vandalism last week.”We are trying to attack and destroy the image and the hatred … that Musk represents and all of the ideology that’s behind what he does,” Alperin said.”It’s a peaceful protest movement where we’re trying to attack an idea, not attack individuals or property.”Vancouver police said Friday it was stepping up its staffing for the protests amid a rise in vandalism reports associated with Tesla. (Murray Titus/CBC)The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) had said on Friday that it was buffing up its police presence to ensure the protests remained lawful, and that it would have an extra 130 officers deployed over the weekend. The Surrey Police Service said it had no plan to deploy more officers for protests planned in its community, noting that past demonstrations at Tesla dealerships have been peaceful.Earlier this month, the Vancouver International Auto Show removed the U.S. electric carmaker from its event citing safety concerns.With files from Pinki Wong and Shaurya Kshatri
Dozens protest at Metro Vancouver Tesla dealerships, call for stand against hate
