Elon Musk's Tesla faces severe backlash: Owners paste quirky stickers to save themselves from vandalism

In recent months, Tesla vehicles and showrooms have become targets of violent attacks and widespread vandalism, ranging from Molotov cocktails being thrown at Tesla stores to cars being shot with bullets, shows the growing discontent toward the electric vehicle company, especially in the wake of Elon Musk's increasing involvement in political matters.
The "Tesla Takedown" protest movement originated on BlueSky, a competitor to Musk's X platform, and has gained significant momentum in recent days. The movement urges Tesla owners to take action against Musk’s growing influence. This escalation of aggression has particularly surged after Musk was appointed to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency by former President Donald Trump.
As the attacks are becoming more violent day by day, some Tesla owners are using some humorous tactics, like placing bumper stickers on their cars to distance themselves from Musk's actions.


The movement’s main demand is for Tesla owners to sell their vehicles and stock in order to “stop Musk now.” The protests have been further grown by Musk’s appointment by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, which has led to heightened scrutiny and disdain towards the billionaire entrepreneur.

In the wake of these protests, some Tesla owners are attempting to avoid becoming targets of these and have chosen to place stickers on their vehicles that read, “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy.” Other owners have different sport bumper stickers that say, “I just wanted an electric car. Sorry guys.” This trend has been widely shared online, with individuals posting images of cars with these stickers on platforms like X.

One person shared a photo of a car in Seattle with the sticker, writing, “‘I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy’ bumper sticker. I took this recently, Tesla driving in front of me near Seattle, east side by Microsoft.” Another user commented, “I was behind a Model S today, and it also had a bumper sticker that read, ‘I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy.’ There was another comment that also read, ‘Please don’t key, spray paint, or fire bomb my car.’”

According to the Hindustan Times, Randy Blazak, a sociologist who studies political violence, explained the motivation behind the attacks, saying, “Tesla is an easy target. They’re rolling down our streets. They have dealerships in our neighborhoods.” The unrest has escalated to the point where an individual in South Carolina was arrested for setting Tesla charging stations on fire. Authorities reportedly found writings against the government and Dogecoin in his possession. In another incident, an Oregon man threw Molotov cocktails at a Tesla store in Salem. Moreover, disturbing images have circulated online, showing Teslas keyed or spray-painted with swastikas.
Reacting to this ongoing turmoil on American and Canadian streets, Elon Musk shared a tweet on X where he reposted a cliping from a formal debate on CNN tv, captioning the post, "They have committed serious crimes."
See tweet below: