Launched to generate grassroots action in opposition to Elon Musk and his actions as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Tesla Takedown Movement encourages supporters to “take action at Tesla showrooms everywhere,” asserting that “hurting Tesla is stopping Musk,” and that “stopping Musk will help save lives and our democracy.” Several demonstrations at Tesla dealerships that began as civil protests later erupted in violence and/or vandalism. A protest at a Tesla dealership in New York City on March 8, 2025, resulted in six arrests — five for disorderly conduct and one for resisting arrest, obstructing government administration and a violation for a local law. Police investigating gunshots fired at a Tesla dealership in Tigard, Oregon on March 7, 2025, said in a statement that “Tesla dealerships have been targeted across Oregon and the nation for political reasons.” Police in Salem, Oregon arrested Adam Matthew Lansky in March 2025 for several instances of violence perpetrated at a Tesla Service Station, including throwing Molotov cocktails that resulted in “multiple fires at the dealership, including a Tesla vehicle ablaze.” In an interview, Valerie Costa, one of the movement’s founders, agreed that the Tesla Takedown is inspired by Luigi Mangione, who assassinated United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. On March 18, 2025, several Tesla vehicles were engulfed in flames at a dealership in Las Vegas, Nevada, “by an individual,” according to police.