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You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / My Fair Share of Abuse (Open Thread)

My Fair Share of Abuse (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker|  March 31, 20259:25 am| 71 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Open Threads, Politics

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On Saturday, I joined a Tesla Takedown protest in Tampa with a couple of friends. It was part of what the organizers billed as a “global day of action” that aimed to place picketers at every Tesla showroom in the U.S. and hundreds worldwide.

As usual, the Brits had the most clever visual props and signs. This was from the protest in London:

A dinosaur with a message from history at #TeslaTakedown London

[image or embed]

— southlondondave.bsky.social (@southlondondave.bsky.social) March 29, 2025 at 11:38 AM

Can’t take him anywhere
#elonmusk #tesla #teslatakedown

[image or embed]

— Overthrow Musk (@overthrowmusk.bsky.social) March 29, 2025 at 8:27 AM

Wish I’d thought of modifying a whacky inflatable tube guy like that!

Anyhoo, the dealership we picketed is located on a main drag in Tampa, U.S. 41, aka Florida Ave., along with tons of other car showrooms. Protesters lined both sides of the street in front of Tesla, and there was some running back and forth across it, which was sort of like playing Frogger because of the traffic and drivers distracted by sign waving, drums, occasional melee, etc.

I stayed put on the sidewalk on the shady side of the road opposite the dealership but still managed to get a sunburn, even though I was wearing a hat and had copiously applied sunblock. (I swear, on a sunny day, I could get a sunburn inside a bank vault while wearing a lead-lined burka. I have no idea why my stupid ginger ancestors migrated to this sun-blasted peninsula.)

There were about 100 protesters, plus three or four counter-protesters stationed nearby with a giant American flag, an “ULTRA MAGA” banner and a handmade sign that said “Patriots Support DOGE.” One asshole in a lifted pickup with a huge Trump flag mounted in the bed drove by repeatedly, screaming “Get a job!” at us before “rolling coal” to engulf us in noxious fumes.

I’d estimate the vast majority of passersby were supportive, tooting their horns and giving us a thumbs up as they went by. But for every 10 that did that, there was one who flipped us off and shouted angrily.

“Get a job!” was the most popular put-down, and it manages to be both inane and nonsensical given that it was a weekend, when lots of fully employed people are free to protest, and lots of protesters appeared to be at or near retirement age. The crowd was admirably age-diverse. One trio of elderly women asked my friend to snap their picture; they are protest veterans from way back.

***

A spot of trouble broke out not long after we arrived. A compact but burly middle-aged fellow in a black tee and jeans with a red knit hat and black backpack was walking behind the protest line dropping stink bombs. I didn’t notice at first, but other protesters did and raised the alarm, pointing the miscreant out.

A scrum of protesters confronted the man, gave chase and surrounded him several yards from my position. One tall male protester relieved the stink bomb-thrower of his hat and backpack, and the two grappled for a few minutes until the much taller protester threw the stink bomber to the ground and others intervened to separate the two and reestablish peace.

I captured all of this on my phone, but I hesitate to share it publicly because, like his predecessor U.S. AG/Trump kleptocracy lawyer Pam Bondi, current Florida AG/DeSantis lackey James Uthmeier constantly conflates peaceful protests with firebombing Cybertrucks and threatens to use law enforcement power to intimidate people who peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights.

Here’s a typical Uthmeier quote from a Florida Fox affiliate’s coverage: “Our troopers are here working around the clock patrolling these dealerships. And if you wanna come here, you’re going to face the full force of law.”

Two Florida Highway Patrol cars and troopers standing in front of a Tesla dealership.

The authorities in Florida have made it crystal clear whose side they’re on, and it ain’t ours. I don’t want to give them ammunition in the form of video evidence they could use to persecute a peaceful protester who was responding to a ruffian.

There were a few sheriffs in an adjacent parking lot, but they were fulfilling a stereotype about cops by ostentatiously picking through a Krispy Kreme box on the hood of a patrol vehicle. I don’t think they noticed the skirmish at all, or maybe they were just too busy devouring Krispy Kremes to intervene.

***

Anyway, about 20 minutes after the scuffle described above, the stink-bomber reappeared. He dropped to his knees on the sidewalk next to me and scribbled something illegible in blue sidewalk chalk.

I was watching intently, preparing to kick him into traffic with my Doc Martens or whack him over the head with a water bottle if he made any threatening moves. But after scribbling on the sidewalk, he looked up at me and said, plaintively, “I just don’t understand all the HATE,” gesturing at what he’d scribbled.

“What does it even say?” I asked, foolishly. (I’m always asking sketchy people dumb questions, which exasperates Bill to no end!) But the stink-bomber didn’t respond to that, instead informing me that he’s a veteran before stalking off to perform the same exact same scribbling action further down the sidewalk next to other protesters.

After he vacated our piece of sidewalk, my friends and I puzzled over the illegible scrawl for a moment. We finally guessed that this is what he’d written: GO ELON.

So, a crackpot cultist throwing stink-bombs at other people to express his enthusiasm for the world’s richest man, who is currently engaged in dismantling the VA and other agencies the stink-bomber likely relies on. Christ, what a world!

The end.

PS: Just want to amplify a reminder from commenter Marcopolo in the previous thread:

Good morning folks.  I’m sure there will be a few front page posts about it this week but just want to encourage everybody here to find and attend a nearby April 5 Hands Off protest.  It is imperative to get as many bodies on the ground as possible.

In St Louis there are currently at least 4 different locations to choose from!  Downtown, inner ring burbs, and one each in the counties to the south and west.  Hopefully that will mean more folks coming out.  I am still workshopping sign ideas (a BJ post on this would be fun) but I saw one from a photo of a recent protest l saw that read “They’re eating our checks, they’re eating our balances” and am thinking that will be good for one side.  Probably “Hand Off our veterans, scientists, seniors, federal workers, immigrants” or something like that on the reverse.

Here’s the link to find the Hands Off location near to where you are: https://www.mobilize.us/handsoff/

I’m serving as (cheap) wine sommelier at a friend’s mom’s birthday party on the afternoon of April 5, but I’m trying to figure out a way to squeeze in a quick appearance at a Hands Off protest. It’s important!

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Reader Interactions

71Comments

  1. 1.

    Elizabelle

    March 31, 2025 at 9:33 am

    Good for you, BC. Our local media even covered last Saturday’s Tesla Takedown; was wondering when they might.

    Also, GO ELON is kind of a multipurpose slogan.  We jackals def want him to go.  To the moon, to hell, to pieces; be gone.

    And: did you get any compliments on your sign?  I thought it was very good.

  2. 2.

    Butch

    March 31, 2025 at 9:37 am

    Hokey smokes – there’s even a protest in Escanaba, which is the “city” closest to me.

  3. 3.

    AM in NC

    March 31, 2025 at 9:38 am

    I am meeting my sister at my Dad’s house north of Atlanta this coming weekend.  He has been captured by AM Radio/FOX and has been suffering from self-inflicted prion disease for about 25 years now.   Trying to figure out how sister and I are going to sneak away for an hour to go stand outside his gated retirement neighborhood and protest GOP fuckery.    I keep a sign in my trunk, so I’m ready to protest at a moment’s notice!

  4. 4.

    Spanky

    March 31, 2025 at 9:38 am

    Rolling coal in defense of an ev dealership because it’s your cult pretty much sums it up, eh?

  5. 5.

    lowtechcyclist

    March 31, 2025 at 9:39 am

    I’ve already got my ticket for the bus to DC that the county Democratic Women’s org has chartered for Saturday.

  6. 6.

    Jackie

    March 31, 2025 at 9:41 am

    We finally guessed that this is what he’d written: GO ELON.

    So, a crackpot cultist throwing stink-bombs at other people to express his enthusiasm for the world’s richest man, who is currently engaged in dismantling the VA and other agencies the stink-bomber likely relies on.

    FFOTUS ain’t the only one who loves him some poorly educated.

    Muskrat seems to attract them, too.

  7. 7.

    Baud

    March 31, 2025 at 9:45 am

    “I just don’t understand all the HATE,”

    You reap what you sow, buddy.

  8. 8.

    Betty Cracker

    March 31, 2025 at 9:47 am

    @Elizabelle: Thanks! My sign that I shared here got a few chuckles and some puzzled looks. :) I made a total of five signs, guessing (correctly) that my chronically underprepared friends would intend to but not actually produce their own. So, after sharing out extras, I rotated my kind of “too online” DOGE sign with others that were more straightforward.

    @Spanky: Yeah, that irony was not lost on the group!

  9. 9.

    Suzanne

    March 31, 2025 at 10:00 am

    preparing to kick him into traffic with my Doc Martens or whack him over the head with a water bottle if he made any threatening moves

    Fellow middle-aged birdwatching punk….. I see you.

  10. 10.

    Raoul Paste

    March 31, 2025 at 10:01 am

    Love the title.  Next Saturday, I will be getting my fair share as it will be raining locally.

  11. 11.

    Old Man Shadow

    March 31, 2025 at 10:01 am

    “I just don’t understand all the hate…” he says this after he disrupts a peaceful protest with a low grade chemical weapon.

  12. 12.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    March 31, 2025 at 10:06 am

    Can anybody remember there ever being protests at car dealerships?  A single car dealership brand?

    I can’t and it’s an incredible statement that people nationwide are doing this.

    Once again hoping that it’ll not only cut into Tesla sales (which I’m sure we’ll see on full display once quarterly car sales reports come out this week) but also hit it where it hurts the most, as a meme stock.

  13. 13.

    Deputinize America

    March 31, 2025 at 10:08 am

    I saw a video of the Tampa demo – what was up with the annoying drum lady?

  14. 14.

    frosty

    March 31, 2025 at 10:14 am

    I’m going to try to get to DC on Saturday; the weather is my only concern: “Overcast with rain showers at times. 50% chance of rain.”

    I’m a weather wimp and it’s a long haul to a Metro station. I’ll keep an eye on it. I’m not planning to make a sign although I’m seeing lots of good ones here!

  15. 15.

    Betty Cracker

    March 31, 2025 at 10:25 am

    @Suzanne: [fist bump]

    @Deputinize America: Oh, I can explain that! In addition to the stink-bomber, a couple of MAGA influencer YouTubers infiltrated the protest, including a woman named “Caitlyn” (according to numerous protesters) who was wearing a tee that said “No One Elected Musk” to disguise herself as one of us (again, according to other protesters — I had never heard of any of these people).

    Drum lady was following this Caitlyn person around to drown out her attempts to interview people.

    ETA: T$LA stock currently down more than 6%. How low does it have to go for Musk to melt like a salted slug? I want to find out!

  16. 16.

    Spanky

    March 31, 2025 at 10:30 am

    Well, it’s a long article. Here are a few tasty snippets… No, the whole thing is too schadenfreudelicious.

    (Reuters) -Tesla investors are bracing for a drop in first-quarter vehicle deliveries as a backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s politics exacerbates weakening demand for the electric vehicle maker’s aging lineup.

    Musk promised Tesla would return to growth this year after its annual deliveries fell for the first time in 2024, and Wall Street will be watching to see how a refreshed Model Y SUV and incentives made a difference.

    Tesla has been grappling with rising competition, especially in China and Europe, and protests against Musk’s role overseeing cuts to federal spending as an adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump. This has angered a largely liberal base of Tesla buyers, and data has shown Tesla owners trading in their vehicles at record levels.

    “We have seen major brand deterioration of Tesla across the entire world essentially,” said Ken Mahoney, CEO at Mahoney Asset Management, which owns Tesla stock. “The brand has become far more politicized than any public company’s brand should wish to be.”

    Tesla is set to report its first-quarter deliveries and production numbers on Wednesday. Its shares were down more than 7% on Monday and have fallen 35% this year.

    Wall Street expects Tesla to have delivered about 373,000 vehicles in the January-March period, according to an average of 15 analysts’ estimates from Visible Alpha that were refreshed in the past 30 days to reflect growing demand concerns. That would be a 3.6% drop from the same period a year ago, when it delivered 386,810 vehicles.

    Even the updated average estimate may be too optimistic, according to some investors and analysts.

    “I think that the numbers are going to come in below 400,000 and, maybe as low as 350,000,” said Thomas Martin, senior portfolio manager at Tesla shareholder Globalt Investments.

    Deutsche Bank analysts expect between 340,000 and 350,000 vehicles to have been delivered.

    The company and Musk did not respond to requests for comment.

    Data from auto associations and analyst estimates has shown sharp drops in Tesla sales in the first two months of the year in the U.S., Europe, and China.

    Adding to the malaise about the economy that has curbed people’s appetite for big-ticket purchases, demand for Tesla cars has also been hit as some potential customers waited for a refreshed version of the top-selling Model Y.

    Tesla started selling the updated Model Y, which now comes with full-width front and tail lights, a rear-seat touchscreen, and improved interiors, late last month in China and this month in the U.S. and Europe.

    “The refreshed Model Y could boost demand, but it may be prolonged a bit as many customers could be waiting for the launch of a more affordable vehicle,” said David Wagner, head of equity and portfolio manager at Aptus Capital Advisors.

    Tesla has said it would launch a more affordable model based on existing platforms this year but has not offered details.

    Demand for Tesla’s Cybertruck pickup that rolled out in late 2023 after several delays has also been cool, with its polarizing trapezoidal design and higher-than-promised price tag keeping buyers at bay. Quality concerns have plagued the model, and Tesla recalled nearly all Cybertrucks in the U.S. this month to fix an exterior panel that could detach while driving.

    TESLA TAKEDOWN

    The company has been offering discounts and other incentives, including low-cost financing.

    But these seemed to have had little impact in Europe, where sales declined in the first two months of the year. People have been turned off by Musk’s support of right-wing politics.

    Sales of China-made Teslas fell as well. Chinese rivals including BYD have ramped up a price war and launched at least six models in the past year to take on the Model Y.

    “Tesla Takedown” protests in countries including Germany and Finland have amplified criticism against Musk in the U.S., where he has been instrumental in driving reductions in the federal workforce and the termination of humanitarian initiatives.

    Teslas have been lit on fire in Las Vegas, and incidents of vandalism at Tesla stores have spiked. Trump has said perpetrating violence against Tesla dealerships will be labeled domestic terrorism.

    Tesla is likely to be less affected than rivals by Trump’s latest 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and parts. Tesla brings in fewer parts than other automakers from outside the U.S. and makes domestically all cars it sells in the U.S.

    Still, Musk has said the cost impact from tariffs will not be trivial. Tesla has also warned it is exposed to retaliatory tariffs that could be leveled in response to Trump’s levies.

    (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Editing by Sayantani Ghosh and Rod Nickel)

  17. 17.

    Matt

    March 31, 2025 at 10:30 am

    who is currently engaged in dismantling the VA and other agencies the stink-bomber likely relies on

    Personally, I hope stink-bomb guy gets the most painful kind of cancer available and then gets told by the VA that there’s a ten-year waiting list for treatment. Then after years and years of suffering, he finally gets a treatment date only to die just before it.

  18. 18.

    Steve LaBonne

    March 31, 2025 at 10:30 am

    Well done! I haven’t gotten to a Tesla dealership (yet) but my wife and I will be Hands Offing in our town on the 5th.

  19. 19.

    Professor Bigfoot

    March 31, 2025 at 10:30 am

    @Suzanne: Git ‘em, ladies. Make ‘em re-think ALL their life choices.

  20. 20.

    oldgold

    March 31, 2025 at 10:30 am

    “Tensions flared at a protest against Elon Musk’s actions with the Department of Government Efficiency outside a Tesla showroom in Tampa on Saturday. There were some pro-MAGA disruptors whose actions erupted into physical confrontations. Many of the 125 plus anti-Musk protesters were peacefully holding signs to show their disapproval of DOGE cuts but a man wearing a red beanie and a black face mask entered the rally with a 6 inch bbq lighter and a black backpack containing fireworks in the other hand. When a woman tried to take his lighter, he punched her.

    He claimed to be protesting with the anti-Musk protest at first, but when confronted about his bag of fireworks, he began writing “Go Musk” on the sidewalk.”

    https://www.wmnf.org/musk-supporter-attempts-to-disrupt-anti-telsa-protest-with-fireworks/

  21. 21.

    Deputinize America

    March 31, 2025 at 10:30 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    I thought Kaitlyn looked familiar.  She was the pro-gun cheesecake Ohio college student from the mid 20-teens. Last name Bennett.

  22. 22.

    Spanky

    March 31, 2025 at 10:34 am

    @Spanky: By the way…

    Tesla started selling the updated Model Y, which now comes with full-width front and tail lights, a rear-seat touchscreen, and improved interiors,

    Full-width front lights SUCK.

  23. 23.

    Betty Cracker

    March 31, 2025 at 10:44 am

    @oldgold: Good old WMNF! Truly “community radio.” I live too far away to pick up their signal these days, but I listen online a fair amount

    @Deputinize America: Oh lord, I’d forgotten that skank. Of course she’s in fucking Florida. Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.

  24. 24.

    NickM

    March 31, 2025 at 10:45 am

    I was at a Tesla protest in Tysons Corner, Viriginia on Saturday.  I started going in January when it was about 20 of us.  Now there were about 250 plus lining both sides of the road where the Tesla dealership is.  It was an enthusiastic crowd.  Way more honks than boos.   I had one of my proudest moments of my protesting career when I shut up a couple of Cybertruck enthusiasts hassling an elderly lady near me.  “Here for the recall”? I kept asking them.  “Here for the recall of your 100K piece of shit?”  “You think you look cool in that? Are you cool getting recalled? Have you checked the resale value suckers?  No one else thinks you’re cool”.   It was glorious   I heckled them until they went away.  They weren’t prepared to be attacked for paying too much for a shitty looking car.

    But, in any case, I think the counterprotesters actually help us.  Who wants to drive through a circus when they’re shopping for a car?  Do affluent MAGAs, who could afford Teslas, really want their political affiliation so obviously displayed everywhere they go, even when they’re parked?  Do they think associating the giant MAGA flags and general craziness of the Base helps the heretofore upscale Tesla brand?  I don’t think so.  Bring them on, they’re helping.

  25. 25.

    Raoul Paste

    March 31, 2025 at 10:45 am

    @Betty Cracker:   I have read that Tesla stock must go below 220  before it starts to impact Musk’s  other collateral based deals.   But I can’t verify that

  26. 26.

    Betty Cracker

    March 31, 2025 at 10:46 am

    @NickM:

    “Here for the recall of your 100K piece of shit?” “You think you look cool in that? Have you checked the resale value? NO one else thinks you’re cool”. Etc. I heckled them until they went away.

    Hero! :)

  27. 27.

    Baud

    March 31, 2025 at 10:53 am

    How do they calculate percentage drop? Google says Tesla opened at 249, is now at 248, but that’s a 6% drop.  That can’t be right.

  28. 28.

    Steve LaBonne

    March 31, 2025 at 10:54 am

    By the way, in the “other countries lack Merrick Garlands” department, Marine LePen was convicted of embezzlement of European Parliament fundd and barred from running for office for 5 years. Let’s hope the verdict and sentence hold up on appeal.

  29. 29.

    CCL

    March 31, 2025 at 11:01 am

    Open Thread?   Missed this EO earlier this week – The so called “Preserving and Protecting the integrity of American elections” executive order is the companion piece to House Bill 22 – the Save Act.

    Part of a explainer from Brookings Institute:

    The EO would “require” the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to modify the federal voting form to require documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC), as opposed to current eligibility requirements passed by Congress. The EAC is an independent federal agency and, as such, the Trump administration cannot currently compel compliance. DPOC would likely disenfranchise millions who do not have access to passports or REAL IDs that would be necessary under the EO for voting. According to the 2024 Survey of the Performance of American Elections, only 48% of respondents reported possession of an unexpired passport with their legal name. The EO’s requirement that federal voter registration departments and agencies assess citizenship before providing registration forms to public assistance programs will also likely cause delays.

    On maintaining accurate voting lists: The EO would allow the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to subpoena voting records for purported “list maintenance,” which could deter individuals from voting or registering to vote given privacy concerns. While list maintenance is essential for running fair elections, historically there have been purges or threatened purges of eligible voters. States already have many systems in place to review voter roll accuracy, and false claims of fraudulent voting in large numbers are not factually accurate. Similar attempts to access voter data made by the president’s election integrity commission in 2017 were rejected by 44 states and the District of Columbia.
    On reviewing elections infrastructure: The EO bars the use of equipment that tallies ballots with barcodes or quick-response codes in all cases except when necessary to accommodate voters with disabilities. Currently, the vast majority of states use machines that print paper ballots with a corresponding QR code, which a scanner uses to electronically tabulate the ballots. Election officials then often verify he accuracy of the machines by hand-counting a portion of the ballots to ensure that the results match. These machines produce  lower error rates and have proven to be faster and more cost effective than counting ballots by hand. Despite claims following the 2020 and 2022 elections, there is no evidence to suggest that using barcodes to tabulate votes leads to inaccurate results. This change could lead to inaccuracies and delays.

    Besides feet in the street, we have two tools: The courts and the vote.

     

    ETA: took out most of the links to perhaps avoid betting stuck in moderation.

  30. 30.

    Melancholy Jaques

    March 31, 2025 at 11:04 am

    @Baud:

    The drop is calculated from the previous close, 263.55.

    All eyes will be on the earnings report, expected April 23, though I do not believe the date has been announced.

  31. 31.

    Ohio Mom

    March 31, 2025 at 11:05 am

    I am planning on going to the Cincinnati rally on Saturday. It most likely will be raining but have a good raincoat and cooler weather means I can wear my pink pussy hat.

    I thought I would take one of the signs I put together four years ago but a look in girl cave/office/guest room closet shows that they must have been tossed during one of my periodic attempts at decluttering.

    Instead, I’ll will take my smallish American flag (it’s about 15” wide) because one thing Trump’s presidencies have taught me is that I really am a patriot.

  32. 32.

    Rose Judson

    March 31, 2025 at 11:05 am

    @CCL: You should be approved now!

  33. 33.

    Tom Levenson

    March 31, 2025 at 11:08 am

    @Baud: The percentage is calculated from the previous close. It was closed at almost $264 ($263.855) on Friday. It opened several percent down and has drifted slightly below its open since. It’s just over 249 as I type this and has traded between ~243 and 252 since 9:30

    ETA: What Melancholy Jacques said.

  34. 34.

    matt

    March 31, 2025 at 11:11 am

  35. 35.

    dc

    March 31, 2025 at 11:12 am

    @Steve LaBonne: And Jair Bolsonoro has been charged with attempted couping in Brasil.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1d4v3dwn03o

  36. 36.

    Steve LaBonne

    March 31, 2025 at 11:15 am

    @dc: Yes, that’s the other Garland-free country I was thinking of.

  37. 37.

    trollhattan

    March 31, 2025 at 11:21 am

    Reposting from last weekend. This I suspect will begin happening elsewhere because MAGAs seem to not have jerbs yet money to fill their 28-gallon pickup tanks to go anywhere Donny wants.

    Dueling protests filled both sides of Granite Drive in front of the Tesla dealership in Rocklin for the first time Saturday, as supporters of President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk mounted a counteroffensive to the weekly protests against the electric car brand that started in February.

    The MAGA crowd, numbering around a hundred at its peak, had staked out the prime real estate on the dealership side of the four-lane road, which members of the group credited to their early arrival. A caravan of vehicles sporting Trump, DOGE and American flags passed by repeatedly.

    Russ Wyluda, the Placer County chairperson for a separatist movement called New California that seeks to create a 51st state, [Hey buddy, back off there. That’s Canada’s number!] said he brought his group to show support for Trump and Musk’s efforts to cut federal spending. “Unless someone figures out how to stop the national debt from growing, we are going to fail as a nation,” he said. “It’s important that we trim the government and get a balanced budget or something really close to it.” On the opposite side, the anti-Tesla group — which moved up its protest to 10 a.m. from its normal noon start in anticipation of the counterprotest — had more than 200 at its peak.

    “We’re just here ourselves, the regular folks making our homemade signs and being peaceful and cheerful and quiet. We’re fighting for democracy — we’re fighting for them too, they just don’t understand it,” said Barbara Brass, an organizer involved in multiple groups opposing Trump’s policies. Rocklin police vehicles cruised the road several times, with officers using speakers to ask protesters to stay out of traffic, but a number of demonstrators crossed to engage in discussions — sometimes heated — with the opposite group.

    Not all of those discussions ended antagonistically. Protesters Christina Rosen and Michaela Swaney had a long discussion on the MAGA side of the street that included a hug and a handshake. “I love having conversations with people … no screaming, no name calling, just really trying to understand each other’s side,” said Swaney. “I don’t think it needs to be done in an aggressive way.”

    Rosen added before crossing back: “It turned into a conversation about working-class rights, solidarity and the need for us to connect as people, and discuss these ideas and our differences without name-calling or having conflict or running away. She did better than me — I get hot-headed sometimes and I’ll raise my voice.”

    https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article303088464.html#storylink=cpy

    Won’t somebody think of the billionaires?

    ETA Rocklin is a mostly tony suburb, separated by freeway and gated communities from the Sacramento rabble. If you live there, you must drive to go anywhere. Like, walking? That nonsense will get you questioned.

  38. 38.

    Deputinize America

    March 31, 2025 at 11:24 am

    @Ohio Mom:

    I took down my American flag in February and started flying a Kentucky flag because of Andy Beshear.  For the Trump #1 term, I flew a pride flag.  I suppose that I’ll fly either a Canadian flag, an EU flag a Pride flag or a Greenland flag once Beshear terms out.

  39. 39.

    feebog

    March 31, 2025 at 11:25 am

    The missus and I went to the No. Hollywood rally.  The dealership is located in a closed Walmart and is apparently mostly a service center.  The parking lot was full of Teslas, many of them used.  We had between 50-100 protesters.  Media covered it, I saw a clip on the local ABC channel that evening.  No incidents and it wrapped up after two hours as planned.

  40. 40.

    Steve LaBonne

    March 31, 2025 at 11:27 am

    @Deputinize America: We always fly a Progress Pride flag, and a couple of weeks ago my wife turned our US flag upside down.

  41. 41.

    David_C

    March 31, 2025 at 11:29 am

    Good going, Betty! Planning to go to a local protest on Saturday, maybe even bringing a coworker. DC is a possibility, but the intersection of age and logistics is a challenge. We have a good local crew who I know mostly on line. Being networking with other faith communities on climate issues the last month. So far, I still have a job, although I don’t know the impact on people in administration jobs. On leave, so not as connected to office intrigue.

    And busy time for choir activities. I think Wegmans has their butter lambs; Broadway Market would be a hike.

  42. 42.

    Suzanne

    March 31, 2025 at 11:32 am

    @NickM:

    Do they think associating the giant MAGA flags and general craziness of the Base helps the heretofore upscale Tesla brand?  I don’t think so. 

    Exactly. Cybertrucks are now low-class trash. As déclassé as shopping at Forever 21.

  43. 43.

    West of the Rockies

    March 31, 2025 at 11:34 am

    I’ve been waiting for a BC open Florida thread… I get a bunch of Haulover Inlet boat stories, showing boats being pummeled sometimes sunk, and people flying out of rocking boats.

    Why on God’s green earth (and waters) do people launch there?

  44. 44.

    Baud

    March 31, 2025 at 11:45 am

    @Melancholy Jaques:

     

    @Tom Levenson:

    Thanks.

  45. 45.

    sxjames

    March 31, 2025 at 11:46 am

    I signed up for the April 5th protest here in Beaverton, OR (suburb of Portland). They are protests arranged for downtown Portland and several other outlying communities .  My wife wanted me to choose something close by…felt a little safer, to be honest.  Anyways, now I’m trying to come up with a sign of some sort.  The problem is that I’m not much of an artist, and I’m having a hard time coming up with an idea that doesn’t involve drawing an Esso gas station. :)

  46. 46.

    Shalimar

    March 31, 2025 at 11:50 am

    So, one of my cousins is casually racist in the way most white southerners are but it is not something that she cares deeply about or that affects her life very often.  Her daughter is dating a very nice black guy and she likes him, so she is fine with people she actually knows.

    They were pulled over by police in a neighboring county in the middle of the night over the weekend, 3 of them in the car including the boyfriend in the backseat.  Cousin was stunned at how badly the cops treated him even though he had nothing to do with anything.  Basically cousin and her daughter were treated with respect whereas boyfriend (who is kind and respectful and had done nothing wrong) was treated like a criminal they had to run warrants on to see if they could take him to jail.

    The most fucked up part of it is that my cousin actually has a warrant in her home town that she didn’t know about (she just paid one a month ago so she still does not know what the fuck it is for and why they didn’t tell her then) and that police station said to tell her to turn herself in on Monday to pay the fine and they let her go.  Boyfriend they absolutely would have taken to jail if he wasn’t clean.

    Cousin sounded like she was rethinking her casual racism after seeing firsthand what it is like to be black in the South.  I hope she really learns from this.

  47. 47.

    CCL

    March 31, 2025 at 11:54 am

    @Rose Judson:  Thanks!  Also, “betting” should have been “getting”

  48. 48.

    trollhattan

    March 31, 2025 at 11:56 am

    @Suzanne:

    It will be fascinating to watch what happens to used Teslas the next couple of years.

    My presumption is values will plummet* given the general disdain for Elmo and unlikelihood of everybody replacing their off-lease Tesla with another, as typically happens.

    So who buys these relative bargains? Cars the dealer can’t sell go to auction and that whole market. Unlike a lot of vehicles they can’t be easily sold overseas like many given the lack of charging networks. Moscow isn’t going to suddenly be inundated by Model 3s.

    *Trump’s tariffs could jack used car prices and affect this in a different direction. 80% sure he’s doing it on Elmo’s behalf.

  49. 49.

    A Ghost to Most

    March 31, 2025 at 11:59 am

    Bravo to all the bully punchers. With practice, it becomes second nature.

  50. 50.

    Betty Cracker

    March 31, 2025 at 12:05 pm

    @West of the Rockies: OMG, it is THE WORST! (I dislike boating in Miami in general even though the waters are beautiful; too many clueless putzes!) I’ve always thought if I ever have the misfortune to be institutionalized as an old fart, I’d want a facility within Hoveround distance of a boat ramp. It is endlessly entertaining to watch people fuck up, and Haulover would be extra dramatic!

  51. 51.

    Marcopolo

    March 31, 2025 at 12:09 pm

    Yay to all the folks getting out & joining Tesla Takedowns (and other protests).  there have actually been a shit ton of them here in StL.  Off the top of my head for the USPS, the National Park Service, Stand Up for Science, Veterans/VA, anti-ICE, an absentee town hall for Ann Wagner in MO-2, and more.  There are actually quite a few more protest actions happening right now than this time in 2017 (and probably as many or more folks involved in them) though it might not feel that way in comparison to the energy generated by the Woman’s March back then.

    For folks thinking about coming out & joining one (or more) of these here are reasons : 1) they are visible—they let fellow Americans know they aren’t alone in being mad about what’s going on; 2) they are informational—they focus attention on happenings that a lot of people aren’t aware of; 3) they create news events that get covered that reinforce point 1 & 2; 4) being active is good for participants mental health!  All of us can do something!  When you multiply one person by 10 or 100 or 1000 or more across the entire US you have a movement (hopefully in the millions).  And you never know what’ll catch fire (6 weeks ago there were only 2 or 3 Tesla Takedowns period) so if you have some crazy idea just give it a try & share it.

    Have a great day all.

  52. 52.

    Belafon

    March 31, 2025 at 12:14 pm

    @Raoul Paste: I believe Musk is also having Tesla “buy” Twitter so that the debt is no longer is his personal problem.

  53. 53.

    Shalimar

    March 31, 2025 at 12:23 pm

    @Raoul Paste: How many of those Tesla stock-backed loans were eliminated when Musk had xAI buy X/Twitter?  My understanding is he uses loans backed by Tesla stock to finance his lifestyle too, but the vast majority are from his stupid decision to buy Twitter.

  54. 54.

    A Ghost to Most

    March 31, 2025 at 12:24 pm

    @Betty Cracker: Do the tourists find new and interesting ways to off themselves, as they do here?

  55. 55.

    BeautifulPlumage

    March 31, 2025 at 12:28 pm

    I went to my local protest in Renton on Saturday and about 150 people were there. No counter protests even though we have a lot of MAGA on the east and south sides of Seattle. Mostly good honking and a few middle fingers. Definitely more folks out than 2 weeks ago when I first went.

    I have an old Halloween costume as the “witch” from Monty Python’s Holy Grail (complete with funnel hat but no turnip nose), so made a sign saying “No Kings” on one side and “No Ducks Left To Give” on the other. That backside message is for the folks in the dealership.

  56. 56.

    BeautifulPlumage

    March 31, 2025 at 12:31 pm

    @Marcopolo: I would add one more reason – it’s great to meet the other folks out there and see the range of ages and signs. I felt very energized after the 2 hours chatting with folks.

  57. 57.

    Joy in FL

    March 31, 2025 at 12:35 pm

    @Marcopolo: Thanks for the link to the Mobilize events that Betty Cracker re-posted in this thread. I found a protest on April 5 that is about 20 minutes from my house, so I will be going to that. There is a protest in the west part of my deep-red county and also a protest in the east part of it. That is impressive!

    I checked the April 5 links on Mobilize some days ago, and there was nothing close enough then. Those folks have been hard at work getting events set up, and I really appreciate that.

  58. 58.

    Chief Oshkosh

    March 31, 2025 at 12:37 pm

    I had family in town for the weekend, so didn’t attend the local Tesla Takedown. However, we drove by – I beeped the horn and all the in-laws rolled down the windows and waved and shouted encouraging things.

    I love the photo of the two Fla Highway Patrol cars at the Tesla dealership. Nothing says “come on down and buy a car from us!” like to cop cars parked public-facing in the sales lot. Even if I was desperate to buy one right now, I’d drive on by.

  59. 59.

    Betty

    March 31, 2025 at 12:38 pm

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: Based on Musk’s fraudulent act in Canada, he may have arranged to buy a few thousand Teslas to improve the numbers. He apparently purchased thousands of Teslas in Canada to take advantage of the EV rebate.

  60. 60.

    WTFGhost

    March 31, 2025 at 12:42 pm

     captured all of this on my phone, but I hesitate to share it publicly because…

    …we’re battling fascists.

    I won’t claim to have fixed that – it wasn’t broken – but it’s all you need to say.

    Remember, Trump bragged about the killing, of a BLM protestor, by federal agents, when the BLM protestor was wanted for questioning, in a homicide, for which the protestor claimed self defense. Witness they Krybaby Kyle’s Klan response, and you know you can’t share images of people acting lawfully, but in defiance of what Trump and the Fascist Fuckheads want.

    Or, maybe this is my contempt for the state of America steaming through. Maybe people need to be reminded we really are in a fascist state, and oh, yes, would Republicans love to have a “liberal” enemy to defecate upon, whether it was keying an IUD-mobile, spitting on the sidewalk near a giant electric razor on wheels, or refusing to have sex with Elon Musk with sufficiently disparaging depictions of what you’d rather do instead. (Come on, ladies, saying you’d rather be injected with now-worthless Tesla stock certificates is just plain mean; who takes pleasure from stomping on a fragile masculine ego like that?)

  61. 61.

    NickM

    March 31, 2025 at 12:53 pm

    @sxjames: I was holding a sign at Tesla that said, on one side, “Here for the Recall?”  I think it’s all about damaging the brand and reminding people that meme stocks build bad cars is a good tactic, IMO

    And re: cops cars in the parking lot — even better!   Of course, whenever people see an ambulance outside a restaurant, they’re like, “there’s at least one empty table, let’s go!”  No one wants to be around a mess in progress.

  62. 62.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    March 31, 2025 at 12:58 pm

    @Betty:

    Another way to measure that are car registrations.  That’s particularly helpful here in ‘Murka to break down overall sales numbers state-by-state.

    If Edolph did that here, I doubt he’d bother to register them.

  63. 63.

    vigilhorn

    March 31, 2025 at 1:06 pm

    So how many customers did you see while you were there?

  64. 64.

    Ruckus

    March 31, 2025 at 1:12 pm

    @Jackie:

    Some who really are not all that successful admire those that are. And money talks.

    Two reasons elon has any power.

    That does not mean he won’t step on himself with spiked shoes, but he likely sees the world as his playground – because of his money. (He must be good – look at how rich he is!!!!) Bullshit comes in many forms.

  65. 65.

    WTFGhost

    March 31, 2025 at 1:18 pm

    @Betty: The only thing better than getting to give Elon his Grade F, would be if Canada did it, because he didn’t realize they could, would, and it wouldn’t even be the slightest bit based on wounded national pride, but, the latter would make it far more… satisfying.

    @Shalimar:  Here’s hoping.

    @CCL: Six is the maximum allowed without moderation popping up.  More than six isn’t *disallowed* per se, but that’s the threshold for human review, and might be the maximum working links per reply.

    (Speaking of which, comment backlinks count, so I’m halfway to my max.)

  66. 66.

    StringOnAStick

    March 31, 2025 at 1:26 pm

    Betty, thanks for the link in your post, I was wondering where and when the local protest would be here.  The person organizing the Tesla takedown protests is great about posting it on our local subreddit, but I hadn’t seen the link to this though I knew something was happening.

  67. 67.

    Betty Cracker

    March 31, 2025 at 1:51 pm

    @vigilhorn: Not a ton, but I have no idea what their traffic is typically like, so I can’t say for sure the protest depressed it. Cars came and went but fairly infrequently, from what I saw.

  68. 68.

    Diceros bicornis

    March 31, 2025 at 3:11 pm

    @CCL: This act would also disenfranchise Americans abroad who can’t get to an embassy or consulate (consulates are being closed, same as social security offices) to provide proof of citizenship  in person. This includes military families, students, and expats who all have the right to vote while living outside the US.

  69. 69.

    BCHS Class of 1980

    March 31, 2025 at 3:20 pm

    My wife went to that very protest; she had signs saying “$1.4B In Assets Missing” and “Fire Elon” and apparently the stinkbug went right behind her. Being of Italian heritage she managed to avoid sunburn. I was impressed by her estimate of about 100 protesters because northern HillCo has hardly been a hotbed of discontent.

  70. 70.

    Betty Cracker

    March 31, 2025 at 4:44 pm

    @BCHS Class of 1980: Kudos to your wife! I recall her sign and am glad she avoided a sunburn. :)

  71. 71.

    dww44

    March 31, 2025 at 5:14 pm

    @Betty Cracker: thanks for going to that event, Betty C and thanks so much for this post because it was so funny and true that I had to share with spouse.  As we are of the ginger variety, I used to opine (after a painful sunburn grown up, of which there were many), why would anyone of Irish descent have immigrated to the Southeastern U.S.  I actually used to hate to stand for photos outside because we had to stare into the sun. I still have painful memories of that.

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