Tesla vehicles, charging stations targeted as protesters denounce DOGE, Elon Musk

Destructive incidents occurred recently in Oregon, Massachusetts

Tesla car owners, dealerships and charging stations have been targeted nationwide in protest against electric carmaker CEO Elon Musk and his involvement with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to slash wasteful spending and fraud within the federal government.

An Oregon Tesla dealership, located 10 miles south of Portland, was targeted by gunshots Thursday, damaging multiple cars and shattering windows, The Associated Press reported.

Earlier this month, a man was arrested after Molotov cocktails were thrown at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon, the Salem Statesman-Journal reported.

Anti-DOGE protesters watch a Cybertruck travel by near a Tesla dealership in Decatur, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

In Massachusetts, several Tesla charging stations were set on fire.

When firefighters arrived, multiple Superchargers were “engulfed in flames and heavy, dark smoke,” according to Littleton police. More than half a dozen chargers were damaged.

Brookline police recently arrested a Boston man caught on video allegedly tagging Tesla vehicles with Musk decals and sharing the footage on X.

Video

When confronted, the man said he had the right to deface the property of others, citing “free speech,” according to police.

“We’d like to speak with the suspect so we can educate him on the difference between ‘free speech,’ and vandalizing property belonging to others,” police wrote in a Facebook post prior to his arrest.

Lucy Grace Nelson was charged with a number of crimes related to incidents at a Colorado Tesla dealership. (Loveland Police Department)

Last week, the U.S. attorney’s office in Colorado charged 42-year-old Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, after police say they found a number of explosives and concerning messages at a Colorado Tesla dealership.

Nelson was charged with one count of malicious destruction of property, explosives or incendiary devices use, felony criminal mischief and criminal attempt to commit felonies, according to a statement from the Loveland Police Department.

Protesters stand near a Tesla dealership Saturday in Decatur, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

The events come amid a string of apparent protests against Musk and DOGE.

Indivisible, an organization founded by former Democratic congressional staffers, previously urged liberals to protest Musk’s actions, going so far as providing a “tool kit” with recommendations on how to “take the fight to Elon.”

The manual details steps for planning and executing demonstrations at Tesla dealerships, showrooms and factories.

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler speaks at a rally against the Department of Government Efficiency outside the U.S. Department of Labor Feb. 5 in Washington, D.C. (Kena Betancur/VIEWpress)

In an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., voiced concerns over lawmakers’ rhetoric about Musk.

“People have said that they know that Elon Musk, hitting him, attacking him, is actually good for their polling numbers,” Luna said. “So, they’re going to continue to do it.”

She also noted Musk’s comments while speaking with podcaster Joe Rogan about the increase in threats on his life.

Protesters stand near a Tesla dealership Saturday in Decatur, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

On Saturday, protesters rallied outside Tesla dealerships, holding signs denouncing Musk and DOGE, including in Decatur, Georgia, according to the AP.