In the United States, Elon Musk has become the focus of widespread condemnation and sometimes violent protests due to his actions at DOGE and beyond in Donald Trump’s administration. Across the ocean in Britain and parts of Europe, the protests have taken the form of biting humour and street art.
Posters, fake adverts, graffiti, and mock movie billboards are poking fun at the billionaire Tesla boss, likening him to authoritarian leaders and mocking his political views — all with a dose of classic British satire, according to The New York Times.
In East London, one mock Tesla ad shows Musk emerging from a car giving a Nazi-style salute with the slogan, “Tesla. The Swasticar.” Another in North London reads, “Now With White Power Steering,” featuring Musk and President Trump standing in front of a red Tesla.
A third billboard, made to look like a film promo, declares: “The Fast and the Führer,” with Musk giving a salute and a number plate reading “DOGE” — a nod to the budget-slashing federal agency he now leads.
“Don’t give him your money”
These fake ads, bus-stop posters, and billboards are the work of small but active protest groups such as Overthrow Musk, Takedown Tesla, and the German group The Center for Political Beauty. Their aim? To hit Tesla’s reputation — and stock price — through satire rather than violence.
Eight-year-old Teddy Burdick listens to speakers alongside his sister, 11-year-old Addy Burdick, during a Hands Off! rally on Saturday. (AP)
One of the campaigners, Theodora Sutcliffe, from London-based Takedown Tesla, said, “Teslas used to be cool. Now, they just mean you’re backing a man who promotes climate denial and the far right.”
In Berlin, the Center for Political Beauty projected the word “Heil” onto a Tesla factory wall, making it read “Heil Tesla,” with a picture of Musk saluting. Italian street art has gone further, showing Musk taking off a mask to reveal Adolf Hitler underneath. “Elon Mask,” the graffiti reads.
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“There’s never been a target exactly like this,” said John Gorenfeld, a software engineer who helped start a London-based group called “Takedown Tesla,” according to an article in The New York Times.
“Nobody that rich has been that outrageous”
John Gorenfeld, a software engineer and co-founder of Takedown Tesla, said Musk’s behaviour has made him an easy target for ridicule.
“Nobody who is that rich and powerful has behaved that outrageously,” Mr. Gorenfeld said. “There’s something campy and ridiculous about Musk’s brand of toxicity. And it opens up a real space to ridicule.”
The protest groups say their ultimate goal is to challenge Musk’s growing influence in politics, especially his support for far-right movements in both Europe and the United States.
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Millions across the US took to the streets on Saturday in what is being called the biggest wave of demonstrations since Donald Trump took office in January. (Photo: The Grand Rapids Press via AP)
Ben Stewart from Led By Donkeys, a British activist group that helped stage the Berlin projection, explained: “We’re sending a message — billionaires can’t act with impunity.”
Since Musk became a key figure in Donald Trump’s second-term administration, Tesla’s stock price has fallen by nearly half. Sales have also dropped 13 per cent compared to last year.
“A man of influence — and misinformation”
Musk is not just a businessman in the eyes of his critics. In Britain, he’s stirred outrage for spreading false information about a child abuse scandal and calling for the jailing of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He’s also defended Tommy Robinson, a jailed far-right figure, and slammed the prison sentence of a neo-Nazi who led riots.
The protests are more than just jokes. Protesters have handed out leaflets, created parody air fresheners called Musk-B-Gone, and put cardboard cutouts of Musk and Trump at charging stations thanking drivers for their support.
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“Some people see him as Trump’s sidekick. Others think he’s an even bigger threat — because of the power he holds over money, media, and tech.”
As satire continues to spread across social media and city streets, Musk has responded with a shrug. Speaking in Wisconsin last week, he said: “They want me to stop. But long-term, Tesla’s stock will do just fine.”
The protestors, though, don’t seem ready to stop. And in Britain — a country where mocking the powerful is a long-held tradition — the art of political ridicule has found a new, very rich target.
