Tesla protest draws crowd

BERNALILLO — Crowds gathered at the intersection of NM 528 and NM 550 on Thursday afternoon, signs in hand and slogans at the ready. The group of nearly 100 protesters set up shop on the median and began their chants, their cheers, their shouts.

All these people gathered at this particular spot for one reason: to protest car manufacturer Tesla and its owner, Elon Musk.

“I was tired of just sitting there,” said one protester who brought her dogs, Ophelia and Virgil, with her. “I just wanted to come out and support [the protest] and hopefully just find a way to cope.”

On the northeast corner of this specific intersection sits one of only two Tesla dealerships in the state (the other is in Santa Fe). With the company’s owner now a visible and active member of the federal government, serving as the chief of the recently created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the electric vehicle manufacturing giant has been the focal point for countless protests across the country and internationally.

The Bernalillo protest was colorful and loud, taking place at one of the area’s busiest intersections during the height of rush-hour traffic. Drivers passing by were encouraged to honk their support, which several took them up on.

There were signs with swastikas and Cybertrucks. There were American, Canadian and Ukrainian flags. There were caricatures of Musk and and President Donald Trump. And there were a lot of people waving and shouting.

Though the protest was loud, it remained cordial throughout, dispersing at the scheduled time of 6 p.m.

While Tesla protests across the country have been largely peaceful, reports of Tesla-related vandalism have seen a sharp rise in recent months as public anger mounts concerning Musk’s recent mass layoffs of the federal workforce.

“I don’t even think he realizes these are real people,” said David, a local resident wearing an anti-Trump T-shirt.

According to a March14 report from CNN, roughly 103,000 federal employees have been fired since the start of the year.

However, the overall American unemployment rate remains largely unchanged, sitting at 4.1% (the rate has fluctuated between 4% and 4.2% since March 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

One vandalism incident occurred in February at the Bernalillo Tesla dealership. According to incident reports, thousands of dollars in damage was caused as vandals set a car on fire and covered the walls, and a Cybertruck, with swastikas.

The FBI is currently investigating the vandalism incident, just one of several recent moves by the White House to try to curb Tesla protests and boycotts.

Last week, Trump notably purchased a Tesla in a widely publicized media event.

Then, early Friday morning, days after Trump threatened to label protesters as domestic terrorists, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced her office will be opening an investigation into instances of vandalism at Tesla dealerships.

“If you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we’re coming after you,” Bondi told assembled media.

According to Forbes, Bondi also stated one person jailed for throwing a Molotov cocktail at a dealership is facing 20 years in prison.

Tesla was originally founded in 2003 as “Tesla Motors” and was the brainchild of Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, who named the company after inventor Nikola Tesla. Musk bought a controlling interest in the company and became chairman of the board in 2004.

Since then, Tesla’s name has become the dominant brand in EV sales and manufacturing. EVs made up roughly 18% of the cars sold in 2024, according to the Electric Vehicle Council, and Tesla controls 44% of that market.

However, the EVC also notes a 15% drop in American sales in January 2025 over January 2024. The company’s stock has plummeted 48% this year, according to ABC News.

The EVC notes that Europe has seen a roughly 50% drop in sales this year. The outlook is even bleaker in Australia, where Tesla sales have dropped an estimated 70% over the same time period last year.

Earlier this month Trump chimed in on Truth Social, blaming the sales decline on “radical left lunatics.”

Rio Rancho resident Helen M. disagrees with the president’s assessment.

“We aren’t lunatics because we don’t want to buy a Tesla,” she said. “If I don’t like [Brand X Cola], then I’m free to buy Coke, or Dr Pepper, or whatever. That doesn’t make me a lunatic.”

Others at the protest were less concerned with the president’s social media account and far angrier about Musk’s apparent access to the federal government.

“We didn’t elect this guy,” said Corrales resident Marco, referring to Musk. “He just came in and started ruining people’s lives. We have to tell them we aren’t going to take it.”

The protest was organized by the Democratic Party of Sandoval County. Future protests will take place every Thursday from 4-6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.