Hundreds joined last weekend, and the next picket is ahead.
By Johannes Werner
Original Air Date: March 12, 2025
Host: On Saturday, at least a couple hundred protesters showed up at an unusual spot: on the super busy University Parkway at the University Town Center mall near the sprawling Lakewood Ranch development, one block from the I-75 interchange. They were part of what they call the “Tesla Takedown,” and they’re planning to do it again. We talked to one of the organizers.
[Vehicles honk]
Johannes Werner: The Tesla Takedown protesters stretched out along three blocks on University Parkway, all the way from the mall entrance to the I-75 ramp. The target of the protest was the brand new corporate-owned Tesla dealership on the south side of the Parkway.
“I smell a fascist.”
There were many signs calling Tesla shareholder Elon Musk names we cannot reproduce due to FCC restrictions. One sign stated what drove people to the protest: Musk’s government job- and program-cutting role with DOGE. “Elon was not elected. Stop the abuse of power.”
Organizer Jeff Fox:
Jeff Fox: Elon Musk has been engaging in illegal and unconstitutional activities that are now in court, and we see him as trying to destroy the government. He’s cut off food to starving children. It’s a [ban?] that was approved in Congress. Same thing for antibiotics—people with tuberculosis and leukemia—and a lot of other cruel and brutal things too numerous to mention. There’s a lot of people around here who are very disturbed and concerned by these illegal activities. Only Congress can spend money or not spend it, but he’s doing this illegally. There’s a saying: “Silence is complicity.” So the people around here are very concerned, and to remain silent is to just permit this to happen.
Indivisible Manatee and Indivisible Sarasota organized the UTC protest.
JW: The groups behind the protest are We Are Indivisible Sarasota and Indivisible Manatee. Jeff Fox says the ultimate goal is to get Musk to stop his DOGE activities. And the way to get there, according to Fox, is by hurting the world’s richest man in his portfolio: By convincing people to stop buying products made by Tesla, which is where most of Musk’s wealth is located.
The nickname “Swastikars” is gaining traction.
JF: The intentions of these demonstrations are, one, to discourage sales of Tesla right now—as long as he keeps doing this—but also to raise the visibility of what he’s doing and the fact that we object to it so that other people around here are also encouraged to speak out and protest themselves. When you see other people doing it, you may be less reluctant. You might be encouraged to speak out about things that you’re really concerned about.
JW: Maybe driven by similar reactions around the globe, investors are in selling mode, for now. Just on Monday, Musk lost $29 billion in net worth as Tesla shares tumbled 15 percent.
Protesters want not only to see Musk go but also to see federal funding for programs like Medicaid and Medicare return.
The Tesla Takedown in Sarasota was one of at least 20 in the nation. The protesters stayed on the public sidewalk and did not otherwise interfere with the Tesla dealership’s business. But it stood out because of its location, according to organizer Fox.
JF: We are really the hometown of the MAGA movement. Michael Flynn lives here; the founder of Moms for Liberty lives here and originated that here. I know there’s a lot of organizations of MAGA that arose out of Sarasota, so I think that [this media?] should pay some attention, because this is really like MAGA Headquarters of the United States.
JW: We were unable to identify the manager of the Sarasota Tesla dealership. We reached out to corporate headquarters for comment but did not receive a reply before deadline.
Encouraged by the turnout last Saturday, the organizers will be hosting the next Tesla Takedown protest at the same location this coming Saturday, March 15 at 11 a.m.
Reporting for WSLR News, Johannes Werner.
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