CHICAGO (WLS) — There was a “Tesla Takedown” protest Saturday in downtown Chicago.
Some passionate crowds were out as a few hundred people gathered on the Near North Side, protesting against Tesla, and Elon Musk specifically.
Many of them said they’ve grown frustrated with the actions of Musk’s “department of government efficiency” despite him not being an elected official.
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Chants and roars echoed through parts of Chicago as massive crowds gathered to protest Musk and his company.
“Elon is not an elected person, and he has no authority to dismantle our government and programs that help us American people,” Chicago resident Tina Smothers said.
The group remained peaceful as they showcased all sorts of signs and demonstrations, claiming Musk’s department of government efficiency has turned into government overreach.
“He’s not our president,” Chicago resident Vicky Weidenkeller said. “He’s not an elected official. What business does he have taking over our government?”
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Similar protests happening around the Chicagoland area Saturday, with groups gathering for the same reason in Westmont.
There was also a large crowd outside of a Tesla dealership in Northbrook, as they said too many critical government programs are being cut.
“I’m here to protest the executive branch that’s dismantling all of our government systems, and we’re here to protest Elon Musk,” Highland Park resident Mark Portman said.
From the suburbs to the city, it’s a movement protestors said they feel the need to be a part of in hopes of protecting longtime programs that benefit Americans.
“There’s a lot of concern about what the government is doing, wrecking social security… Medicaid,” Chicago resident Gene Bill said.
Other people passed by Saturday’s protest, saying it’s frustrating to see the group go up against Tesla.
Chicago resident Jake Diliberto said he just bought a Tesla Cybertruck, and he thinks people should put politics aside in this situation.
“I care about greenhouse gas emissions I like the storage of the car so for me it’s more about greenhouse not paying for gas,” Diliberto said. “You want to protest Trump, you want to protest Elon, then go ahead, but all this does is hurt the employees that work there.”
Everything had remained peaceful on the Near North Side as of 3:15 p.m., and there were no known arrests.
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People there said they’ll keep up the protests as long as Musk is part of the Trump administration.
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