Tesla just opened a retro diner in Los Angeles, so it was only a matter of time before anti-Elon Musk protesters caught wind.
The long-awaited retrofuturistic diner, complete with giant outdoor screens for drive-in movies, dozens of Supercharger stalls, and an Optimus robot serving popcorn, opened to huge lines in West Hollywood on July 21st. Protesters are planning on demonstrating outside the newly opened diner on July 26th, according to the Action Network website, which has served as a repository for the so-called Tesla Takedown movement.
“[Elon Musk] wants to celebrate his reign of terror in OUR CITY, Occupied Los Angeles, with a cheesy Tesla-branded diner exclusively for his legion of conmen stock-pumpers and MLM influencer tryhards?” the website reads. “WE SAY HELL NO.”
“[Elon Musk] wants to celebrate his reign of terror in OUR CITY, Occupied Los Angeles, with a cheesy Tesla-branded diner exclusively for his legion of conmen stock-pumpers and MLM influencer tryhards?”
Since early February of this year, Tesla has been the target of protesters opposed to Musk’s involvement with the Trump administration. As Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sought to eliminate humanitarian aid programs and fire tens of thousands of government workers, demonstrators have expressed their rage by picketing outside Tesla showrooms and demanding Tesla owners sell their vehicles.
Others have taken things further, defacing Tesla vehicles with anti-Musk slogans, smashing windows, and even setting some Tesla property on fire. Musk’s allies in the Trump administration are threatening to prosecute anyone caught defacing Tesla vehicles by classifying the acts as “domestic terrorism.“
Musk officially stepped back from DOGE in May, although he claims that he will remain involved with the group in some capacity. The following month, Musk and President Donald Trump had a public falling out, with the two engaged in a war of words. Trump has threatened to deport Musk, while Musk has accused the president of being on Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged client list.
Despite all the drama, anti-Musk protesters are trying to keep up the energy. Joel Lava, who has been helping lead the Tesla Takedown protests in Los Angeles, said he expects a large crowd outside the diner this Saturday.
“It’s in West Hollywood,” Lava told The Verge. “I think it’s safe to say that Elon Musk is not a popular figure in West Hollywood. So I don’t think it’s going to be hard to protest it.”
“I think it’s safe to say that Elon Musk is not a popular figure in West Hollywood.”
While the weekly crowds may have diminished slightly from their peak in the spring, and while Musk may have distanced himself from the Trump administration, the Tesla Takedown movement hasn’t given up. Lava said that dozens of people still show up every week to protest outside of Tesla locations in LA, buoyed by news of Tesla’s worsening earnings statement and falling sales. He also cited recent reports of food that was supposed to ship out with USAID being left to rot in warehouses thanks to DOGE’s funding cuts. And the news that Musk may start his own political party has further motivated the activists to keep up their presence, Lava said.
“Yes, our numbers have dwindled, but they have stayed strong,” he said. “We’ve already built a community, [and] people will show up.”
Lava said the tactics will be similar to those used in protests outside of Tesla dealerships and charging stations: raising awareness about Musk’s efforts to decimate humanitarian aid and destroy the federal government.
“I think our simple message is Tesla funds fascism,” Lava said. “You’re going into this cafe, and you’re giving a $300 billion man your own money to help destroy the fabric of our country. That’s why we don’t want you buying Tesla. And that’s why you shouldn’t go into this cafe.”
