Additional Coverage:
- 12ft Texas sculpture of Elon Musk’s head ‘destroyed’ after eyes gouged out by vandals (irishstar.com)
A bust of Elon Musk located outside SpaceX’s Starbase in South Texas was vandalized over the weekend, coinciding with nationwide “Hands Off!” protests against Musk’s role in the Trump administration.
The San Antonio Express-News reported that the bronze statue was damaged sometime before Saturday morning. Land owner Eleazar Villafranca told the Express-News, “They cut it and took four or five pieces, part of the eyes…
I put a tarp to cover it so it doesn’t look too bad, but now a lot of people are coming to take pictures of the tarp.” No suspects have been identified.
This incident is the latest in a string of attacks targeting properties associated with Musk. Tesla showrooms, dealerships, charging stations, and even privately owned Tesla vehicles have been vandalized across the US and abroad. While no injuries have been reported, the frequency of these attacks has increased since the beginning of Trump’s second term, during which Musk was appointed to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency.
Experts on domestic extremism are monitoring the situation to determine if this represents a developing trend. Tesla seems to have become a focal point for protests, similar to how Trump properties were targeted during his first term.
Sociologist and expert on political violence, Randy Blazak, noted Tesla’s visibility, stating, “They’re rolling down our streets. They have dealerships in our neighborhoods.”
Organized protests against Musk and Tesla have also taken place, with demonstrations reported across North America and Europe. Some Tesla owners have even publicly stated their intentions to sell their vehicles in protest.
Law enforcement agencies have made arrests in connection with some of these incidents. In Colorado, a woman was charged last month for attacks on Tesla dealerships, while in South Carolina, a man was arrested for setting fire to Tesla charging stations.
The weekend vandalism coincided with nationwide “Hands Off!” protests organized by over 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, and LGBTQ+ advocates.
These demonstrations, held in over 1,200 locations across all 50 states, protested government downsizing, economic policies, immigration policies, and human rights concerns. Thousands of protesters participated in rallies across the country, from New York to Alaska.
Demonstrators expressed anger over various administration actions, including federal worker layoffs, the closure of Social Security Administration offices, immigration policies, and cuts to health programs.