In early 2025, weekly non-violent protests began to emerge outside the Tesla showroom on Fourth Street in Berkeley, drawing attention from local residents and activists. Organized as part of the broader “Tesla Takedown” campaign, the demonstrations are focused against Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s increasing political influence, particularly in connection with his leadership of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Participants have clarified that the protests are not directed at Tesla’s electric vehicles or clean energy mission, but rather what they see as a concerning overlap between corporate power and political authority.
Jen Corn is a local organizer and Director of the Berkeley Unified School District School Board who is collaborating with Solidarity Sundays, a nationwide network of feminist activist groups formed in 2017. “Tesla became a symbol we could rally people around: tech billionaires trying to destroy our public institutions and government services,” Corn said.
Corn describes the protests as a "We the People'" movement, showing broad public resistance to what some see as the dismantling of democratic systems. “There will be consequences for your company and for your personal wealth, Elon Musk, if you continue to attack our government institutions and the people of this country, the rule of law and the services we all need and depend on,” Corn said.
Local business owner Marisa Flores March, who runs Topdrawer near the Tesla location, has felt the demonstrations’ economic ripple effects. “We’ve seen our numbers go down considerably since the protests started,” Flores March said. She added, “It has deterred people from coming down here because they don’t want to deal with the crowds, the police (and) potential violence.”
Despite some negative effects on her business, Flores March, a longtime Berkeley resident with connections to protest culture, expressed support for the Fourth Street Tesla protests. “I’m all for it,” she said, “It’s our right to protest. It’s actually very heartwarming for me to see people getting together and protesting against an administration that is irresponsible.”
However some protest participants have had more difficult experiences. Tenysa Santiago recounted an incident when she was arrested outside the Tesla showroom while protesting with her child. Santiago explained that she was sitting on a public bench, holding a sign in protest of Musk, when the police were called and arrested her in front of her child.
Pam Tellew, a longtime activist and member of the political group “Together We Will” in Albany and Berkeley, views the protests as an essential form of civic engagement. “This has been a very natural outlet for people upset about Trump and Musk,” Tellew said. “They’re protesting because they don’t want the climate destroyed. They don’t want democracy to disappear,” Tellew added.
Corn explained that the protests are rooted in a long history of grassroots activism. “The group I’ve been involved in is called Solidarity Sundays ... We built our community and our muscle over many years, learning how to be engaged participants in democracy, how to fight for ourselves, our families, our communities, and our kids,” she said, “This is the first time we’ve taken on leadership. I think it’s a response to the real crisis we're in right now.”
Demonstrators insist that their gatherings are peaceful and intentionally nonviolent, and the response from Tesla and its employees has been largely non-engaging. “At the beginning, we said to employees, ‘Come join us. It’s Musk we’re protesting,’” Tellew said, “But mostly they ignore us or shoo us off the steps.” Tesla store employees declined to comment when approached for this story.
When asked what changes Corn would like to see, she said, “I’d like to see Elon Musk remove himself, or be removed, from the government. There are major conflicts of interest between Musk’s companies and potential profits from a Trump administration.” She also called for stronger labor protection and an end to DOGE, which she described as “hurting services taxpayers depend on.”
Regardless of occasional tensions, Flores March believes the protests have brought the community together. “It’s created an atmosphere where we can communicate and share opinions without retaliation,” she said, “(and) that’s really important.”
As protests continue, the situation on Fourth Street remains a small example of larger national debates, between activism and business, corporate power and democratic voice. For now, Berkeley continues to balance its activist legacy with its local economy and residents on both sides of the sidewalk are making their voices heard.