Driving Dissent: Santa Clarita Protesters Sound Off on Musk

 

By Santa Clarita Star Staff

03/29/2025 at 4:30 PM

 

Dozens gathered outside the Santa Clarita Tesla dealership on March 29 as part of the global Tesla Takedown protest, calling out Elon Musk’s political influence and role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Protesters voiced concerns about Social Security cuts, and federal layoffs, and urged others to boycott Tesla to push back against Musk’s growing power.

 

 

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the Tesla dealership in Santa Clarita on Saturday as part of a global day of protest against Elon Musk, voicing alarm over his growing political power and his role in the federal government.

 

Waving signs and chanting slogans, protesters lined the sidewalk along Valencia Boulevard, drawing honks of support from passing drivers in a scene that remained peaceful but charged with concern.

 

The protest was part of a worldwide campaign called “Tesla Takedown,” which saw more than 200 demonstrations organized across the globe. Activists are urging people to sell their Teslas, divest from Tesla stock, and show up at dealerships to push back against what they describe as Musk’s “threat to democracy.”

 

“I think that laying off American families is not a public service to anyone,” said Lynne Plambeck, a former member of the Santa Clarita Valley Water Board. “I'm at the age when I'm collecting Social Security, and I'm looking every month to see if it comes in or not.”

 

Plambeck’s concerns echo a growing national backlash against Musk’s leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a federal agency created under President Donald Trump’s second term. In recent weeks, DOGE has initiated sweeping layoffs at multiple agencies, including the Social Security Administration, where 7,000 employees were recently terminated.

 

On Thursday, Musk defended the agency’s actions in an interview with Fox News, saying DOGE’s cost-cutting will allow “legitimate recipients” of Social Security to “receive more money, not less.” He did not provide details on how those benefits would increase.

 

Former Social Security officials and government employee unions have warned the opposite may occur. “Ultimately, you’re going to see the system collapse and an interruption of benefits,” former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley told CNBC, citing disruptions and IT failures at the agency. Federal judges have already ordered some fired employees reinstated, questioning the legality of DOGE’s authority.

 

In Santa Clarita, demonstrators expressed frustration with Musk’s expanding role in government and his growing influence over public policy.

 

Tesla is facing mounting challenges in both the market and political arena, with new data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association showing a 40% drop in Tesla vehicle registrations in Europe in February, even as overall EV sales rose 26%. The news comes as President Trump prepares to announce new auto tariffs—possibly ahead of his hyped April 2 “liberation day”—further fueling volatility in Tesla’s stock, which is down 36% since Inauguration Day. Analysts say European buyers may be delaying purchases ahead of a refreshed Model Y or a lower-cost model expected later this year, but some experts also point to growing backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s political role in the Trump administration, where his aggressive cost-cutting agenda and controversial rhetoric have drawn criticism.

 

In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Elon Musk escalated his rhetoric against the “Tesla Takedown” movement, accusing protest organizers of spreading misinformation and fueling violence. “They’re being fed propaganda by the far-left, and they believe it. It’s really unfortunate,” Musk said. Referring to a hypothetical act of violence, he added, “The real problem is not, like, you know, the crazy guy that firebombs a Tesla dealership. It’s the people pushing the propaganda that caused that guy to do it… Those are the real villains here, and we’re going to go after them.” While Tesla cars and dealerships have been vandalized across the United States and Europe in recent weeks, no violence or vandalism occured at the peaceful protest in Santa Clarita, where local residents like Lynne Plambeck expressed concerns about Social Security cuts and government overreach.

 

“I think he's calling everyone on Social Security a 'fraudster', and I'm personally offended by that,” Plambeck said. “No one on Social Security is a fraudster.”