Protesters gather outside North Austin Tesla for the second week in a row

AUSTIN, Texas - A line of several dozen protesters cheered on vehicles that honked in support as they chanted against Elon Musk Saturday morning.

Deemed the "Tesla Takedown," organizers hope to hit Musk where it could hurt the most: Tesla.

So, they lined Research Boulevard near the Tesla store off Pond Springs Road in North Austin.

What they're saying:

"We want people to think twice, thrice, and four times before they buy a Tesla because they're going to see this every time they go to a Tesla showroom," said Nevin Kamath, a protester.

They want people to sell their Teslas, dump Tesla stock, and join them.

"This is insane, and we can not stand for this unelected person wielding almost unlimited power throughout our government," said Jimmy Flannigan, a protester.

This came after Musk began leading the Department of Government Efficiency or "DOGE" in January. That led to a mass layoff of federal employees and efforts to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Protesters gather outside a North Austin Tesla dealership on March 22, 2025.

"I would like the government to start following the rules and not let Musk takeover," said Coleen Krier, a protester.

This North Austin protest is just one of many across the country.

"We have to show that the public wants change, and we want Elon Musk out of the federal government and, for us tonight, we want Elon Musk out of Austin," said Flannigan.

Big picture view:

Also happening in the U.S. are more violent acts against Tesla.

In Las Vegas, Teslas were set on fire with the word "resist" spray-painted on the store.

In Massachusetts, charging stations were set ablaze.

The White House has called for an end to these more violent acts.

"It's despicable, the violence that has taken place against Tesla, the company, its employees, and also just Americans who have chosen to drive an electric vehicle," said U.S. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "We would like Democrats to also come out and condemn this heinous violence that we have seen."

Back in Austin, protesters said they would keep the peace with plans to show up every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

"Americans are fed up," said Flannigan. "They are fed up with Elon Musk. They are fed up with the destruction of all of the things we've invested in as taxpayers and Americans, and that's why we're all speaking out."

New data shows Tesla sales are dropping, partly due to the backlash against Musk.

A recent report from San Diego County shows Tesla sales fell 35 percent compared to this time last year.

Fox 7 Austin reached out to Tesla to see if the company or Musk would like to comment, but has not heard back.