Protests targeting federal government actions erupt across the Pacific Northwest
VANCOUVER, Wash. (KATU) — A pro-science rally in Vancouver on Saturday pushed back against recent federal actions, coinciding with nationwide (and some cities in Europe) protests targeting Tesla dealerships, including in the Pacific Northwest.
The "Rally for Science" at Esther Short Park drew dozens of participants carrying signs and chanting in support of science and education.
The rally's organizer expressed concerns that knowledge, education, and science are under threat from executive orders issued by President Trump. Some attendees also voiced worries that the expansion of timber production could severely impact endangered species in the Pacific Northwest.
"I know a lot of us are really worried about the executive order on logging and what that will do to our endangered species. We have 48 endangered species here in Washington State alone that we want to protect," Mackenzie Pfeifer, a marine biologist and rally organizer told KATU News.
"They're angry at what's being done to our scientific institutions. They're angry at what's being done to our federal workers. And even people like our Bonneville Power Association. That is science. And it's a self-funded agency that operates 70% of the power grid here in the Pacific Northwest."
A coordinated protest effort, dubbed "Tesla Takedown," took place at Tesla dealerships across the United States, including one in South Portland. The rally was part of over 200 protests aimed at criticizing Elon Musk for his recent actions, including the establishment of a new agency called "DOGE," which has been associated with cuts to federal workers and spending.
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Critics expressed concerns over Musk's access to sensitive data and his decision to shutter entire agencies as part of his efforts to reduce government spending. Musk's estimated $340 billion fortune is largely tied to his stock in Tesla, an electric vehicle company that continues to operate while reportedly collaborating with former President Donald Trump.
Saturday's nationwide protests marked the first organized attempt to encircle all 277 of Tesla's showrooms and service centers in the U.S., with the goal of intensifying a recent decline in the company's sales.
Protests erupted across the country at Tesla locations in major cities including Washington, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Seattle, as well as in towns across Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.
Smaller groups of counterprotesters also appeared at some sites, adding to the tensions surrounding the demonstrations.
According to the Associated Press, the Tesla Takedown movement also had some turnouts in Europe, as a protest was held today in London.
Despite the protests, Musk does not seem publicly concerned. He recently stated that Tesla's Model Y would continue to be "the best-selling car on earth again this year" and predicted that Tesla would have sold more than 10 million cars worldwide by next year, up from about seven million currently.
In an interview with FOX News, Musk expressed his hope to cut one trillion dollars from the national deficit by reducing what he described as "wasteful spending."
It comes after the FBI began investigating a surge in violent attacks targeting Tesla’s including dealerships in Tigard and Salem.
The White House has condemned the violence.
"When I looked at those showrooms burning and those cars, not one or two, like seven. eight, ten were burning. These are terrorists," President Trump said.
