The Tesla protests, which began in February, have escalated significantly over the weekend, with hundreds of people gathering at showrooms across the US to boycott Elon Musk and his involvement in the Trump administration. The protests, associated with the Tesla Takedown movement, aim to "stop Musk" and have resulted in some arrests and incidents of vandalism.

The protests, which took place in cities such as Manhattan, Boston, Chicago, Florida, and Pasadena, drew large crowds, with demonstrators holding signs and chanting slogans like "Nobody voted for Elon Musk" and "Oligarchs out, democracy in." In Manhattan, five protestors were arrested for disorderly conduct, while another was apprehended for resisting arrest, obstruction, and violation of local law. This follows the arrest of nine people during a Tesla Takedown protest in Manhattan the previous week.

In Boston, around 300 demonstrators rallied outside a Tesla showroom, staging a flash mob in front of the dealership. Shua Sanchez, a rally organizer, told WCVB that while they do not condone property damage, they believe Elon Musk should not be surprised when people decide to take direct action against his policies. No arrests were made during the protest.

In Chicago, hundreds of protestors stood outside the Streeterville Tesla showroom, which was joined by marchers from the Women's Day march. Protestors held similar signs, like "Launch Musk to Mars" and "Democracy Dies with DOGE." Meanwhile, protestors at the Tesla showroom in Chicago's Orland Park clashed with supporters of the MAGA movement, according to the Chicago Tribune. There were no reports of arrests at either demonstration.

In Florida, dozens of Tesla Takedown protestors gathered at Musk's Delray Beach dealership, holding signs like "Fight fascism," "Democracy is not a business plan," and "No one voted for Elon Musk!!" One protestor, Jeff Finkelstein, told CBS 12 that they are rallying against Elon Musk and what he's done, and that they're showing their frustration.

In Pasadena, hundreds of protestors stood in front of Tesla's Old Pasadena dealership, where Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) made an appearance, criticizing Musk's DOGE initiative and President Donald Trump. This is the second weekend in a row that demonstrators gathered outside the Pasadena dealership.

The protests have not been limited to the US, with dozens of people in Lisbon, Portugal, holding signs that said "Boycott Tesla" outside a Tesla dealership. The protestors raised concerns about Musk's promotion of right-wing politics in Europe.

The protests have had a significant impact on Tesla, with sales dropping year over year for the first time. Some drivers have also decided to trade in or sell their Teslas to avoid embarrassment, with one owner telling The New York Times she was called a "Nazi." Tesla's stock price has also plummeted more than 50 percent from its record high in December, while Musk's net worth sunk from $464 billion in December to $330 billion.

In response to the protests, Musk accused billionaires George Soros, Reid Hoffman, and others of funding the protests through the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue. However, ActBlue "does not fund groups, but instead is a platform through which donors can give money to campaigns or organizations."

The escalation of the protests and the violent incidents reported in some cases have raised concerns about the impact of Musk's involvement in politics on his business and the wider community. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Tesla and Musk will respond to the growing backlash.