Tesla protesters take aim at Musk’s retro-style diner
After tossing Molotov cocktails at vehicles and vandalizing showrooms, Tesla protesters are now taking aim at Elon Musk’s retro-futuristic diner near Hollywood — even as lines of customers wrap around the block.
Tall inflatable balloons designed to look like Musk, in Tesla-branded T-shirts and black MAGA hats, mimicked the Nazi salute while protesters chanted: “Hey hey, ho ho, Elon Musk has got to go!”
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In videos posted to social media, one demonstrator can be seen splayed across the front of a Cybertruck and flipping the bird in an attempt to deter customers from driving into the diner’s parking lot.
Fans of Musk showed up in full force, too, with one customer on YouTube claiming he waited 11 hours for the restaurant to open.
Easily more than 20 vehicles can be seen backed up around the block in a video online as customers waited to order, while reports from last week described lines at least 100 people long.
For months, Musk has faced outrage from protesters at Tesla dealerships across the country following his severe government funding cuts.
About 75 protesters gathered on Saturday at the 24-hour Tesla diner, which abruptly opened last week after years of Musk touting his vision for an “old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant.”
Electric-vehicle charging stations wrap around the parking lot of the Tesla diner, which has a front door that looks like a glowing portal and neon red stripes atop the building.
Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots filled cartons with fresh popcorn at the opening, while customers were served burgers in Cybertruck boxes and $12 maple-glazed bacon.
There’s a wraparound balcony on the top deck of the diner with tables and chairs where customers can enjoy dinner and a movie, as a large screen in the parking lot plays full-length films each night.
But protesters are hopeful that the buzz around the diner and drive-in theater will die down.
“This is the world’s most renowned anti-trans advocate who just opened a diner in West Hollywood. The community is not very supportive of Elon,” Joel Lava, who led the protests at the diner, told CNN.
While attendance at the Tesla Takedown protesters peaked in March, the demonstrations have still “been going strong,” Lava said.
As of Monday, the Tesla Takedown site listed 45 upcoming protests.
“Our main message is Tesla funds facism. Elon Musk, via DOGE, has destroyed our government agencies and people’s jobs, and people are dying around the world because of him,” Lava added.
The Tesla brand has already endured significant brand damage from the protests, he said.
Last week, the automaker reported its worst sales drop in a decade and earnings that missed Wall Street estimates.
Tesla has also been steadily losing overseas market share to Chinese rivals, like EV maker BYD.
But executives at the company have focused on the future of the company during earnings calls, boasting about its Optimus humanoid robots and robotaxis.
These opportunities, however, are pricey and risky bets, and it’s expected that Tesla will soon feel more pain from President Trump’s tariffs and the end of federal EV tax credits.
The stock is down more than 15% so far this year, while most tech stocks and the Nasdaq have been on an upward tear.
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