Protesters rallied outside the Tesla dealership on Route 1 in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, as part of the TeslaTakedown Global Day of Action on March 29. The roughly 350 protesters joined thousands of participants at similar demonstrations around the globe.
One difference on the Global Day of Action was the number of MAGA counter-protesters who attended, which swelled in number from 10 at the previous week’s protest to more than 75 on March 29.
The coordinated protest effort was announced during a live-streamed YouTube event on March 19 where organizers called for 500 demonstrations at Tesla showrooms. However, there had been three previous protests at the Lawrenceville location led by local political action groups prior to the national event.
Local activist and spokesperson for the political action group 50501, Natasha Purdum, said the counter-protesters came better prepared than they had before. They arrived early and took the spot where Purdum’s group had stood the previous week. They blared music from a PA system and used a bullhorn with a siren effect to get their message across.
She said, “They were just like doing that [siren] sound at my ear. So they did that for like 20 min and then they took an air horn and literally, they were putting the airhorn against the microphone, and they directed [the PA speakers] towards my face.”
According to Olivia Muchowski, another 50501 activist, the MAGA-supporting group at the rally the previous week took unwanted photos of her and threatened her life.
“They said ‘I hope you die of cancer. You deserve to get cancer. You deserve to get in a car crash that slowly kills you. We put a hit out on you, we put a bounty out on you,’” Muchowski said.
Lawrence Township police were present and walked up and down the road with protesters but their numbers were no greater than at previous events. Tesla added two of its own security officers as well.
Tesla also set up cones at its exit to serve as a boundary to keep protesters from coming onto the property and had a person remain there to move the cones if a car needed to exit the parking lot.
On the surrounding property, protesters chanted “Hey hey, ho ho, Elon Musk has got to go!” while counter-protesters played loud music and chanted “Trump is your president! Get over it!” from the PA speakers.
The songs played ranged from country to techno to rap, including the national anthem and “More Middle Fingers” by Justin Moore.
Some people at the event reported being there out of deep concern for the country.
Seventy-year-old Marie, who asked to keep her last name private out of concern for her safety, said, “I don’t want my house burned down…and I live alone.” However, she added, “My heart’s broken. I love America. I haven’t been to a protest since the Vietnam War. This brought me out because I never realized how much I loved America until I saw it falling apart.”
A counter-protester, who identified himself “Mark DeMarco”–but who internet fact-checking indicates is named Mark Bellini –wore a “Liberals Suck” T-shirt and said he believed George Soros paid the protesters to be there.
“We’re not paid. We’re here to support Tesla and Elon. The guy’s smart. He’s a genius. Maybe awkward but he’s a genius, and now, the liberals are destroying Teslas, owned a majority by liberals. It’s craziness. It’s absolute craziness,” Bellini said.
He added, “They’re just sick. It’s sick. They’re sick people. I work hard. I do my thing. And I see this crap. I can’t even put my finger on it. They’re destroying their own cars.”
Finances were a hot topic among the counter-protesters.
Musk supporter, Richie Negron, said, “I am a very strong MAGA supporter. Trump supporter. Always have been…We’re sick of [corruption and lies]. We want our money. America needs to take care of itself. That’s why I’m out here.”
Later, Negron was heard screaming to the crowd, “Keep the money here! Fuck the rest of the world! America First! Fuck Ukraine! Fuck the U.N. Fuck NATO! Trump took America back!”
Protester Alison Perkon said she was in disbelief.
“I never thought this day would be here. I never thought I would feel unsafe on American soil because of the president of America, and it’s shocking and it’s painful. And as somebody in the LGBTQ community, it’s imperative that I’m up here where I can make a difference,” Perkon said, adding, “Once people start thinking again, you know, then I think we might have a chance.”
Tensions ran high on both sides. The Musk supporters set up a sea of flags and had various diesel trucks and a camouflage colored car with a red Tesla flag attached to its bumper drive by numerous times.
Andy Vernon, a counter-protester at the event, said, “I’m here to support my friends [and] no matter what side you’re on I’m just glad to see people here socializing with each other out in public. I think we’re all just a bunch of Americans supporting what we believe in.”
Purdum noted there was some positive discourse.
She said, “We did have a couple of people come over from their side and talk to us and that is what I want to see more of. A lot of the things we are mad about are the same things.”
By 3:40 p.m., a handful of anti-Musk supporters remained but the vast majority had dispersed with no physical altercations to report. Counter-protesters continued to blast their music and showed no signs of shutting down.
Mark Bellini added, “I’m here just to support Tesla. Would I buy Tesla? No, I don’t like an electric car, I like a gas car. So that’s it but then again, I didn’t really like it. So, but the only reason they’re here is because Trump is with Elon. That’s it. End of story. There’s nothing else to say about that.”
