NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) -- Protests targeting the electric vehicle brand Tesla and its billionaire CEO Elon Musk have been breaking out across the country, including in Norfolk.
The protests took place on Saturday, March 29, and were a part of the Tesla Takedown's Global Day of Action, where protest
ors attempted to surround all the 277 Tesla showrooms across the country in the midst of the company's declining sales.
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The protest in Norfolk took place in front of the Tesla dealership on North Military Highway. Rebecca Head, one of the organizers of the protest, told 10 On Your Side this is the third protest she has hosted.
"We just really wanted to be a part of the Tesla Takedown movement," Head said. "I think our community is very directly impacted by this. They're firing tons of federal workers, you know, taking a sledgehammer to our federal government. Many of whom are veterans. They're gutting Veterans Affairs. And we're standing here on Military Highway because this is, this is impacting our community directly."
The protests come after Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken steps to cut the federal budget deficit by $1 trillion, leading to multiple federal workers losing their jobs.
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While many of the Tesla Takedown supporters have stressed the importance of remaining peaceful, some people have escalated the movement, setting fire to Tesla vehicles or committing other acts of vandalism.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called the acts of vandalism domestic terrorism, leading to the creation of a Tesla vandalism task force by the FBI.
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10 On Your Side took pictures of the protest in Norfolk, where people could be seen holding signs calling to boycott Tesla.
Tesla Takedown protest in Norfolk (WAVY photo)Tesla Takedown protest in Norfolk (WAVY photo)Tesla Takedown protest in Norfolk (WAVY photo)Tesla Takedown protest in Norfolk (WAVY photo)Tesla Takedown protest in Norfolk (WAVY photo)Tesla Takedown protest in Norfolk (WAVY photo)
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
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