Thousands of people across the country are making their voices heard at Tesla dealerships and plants this weekend, with many happening in upstate New York, including at the Tesla plant in Buffalo and a dealership in Fayetteville.
This is just the latest in a series of protests that have popped up over the last month. Protesters say they are fighting back against Elon Musk, DOGE job cuts and the Trump Administration.
Many are raising concerns about the various agencies and departments that have seen massive cuts due to moves by DOGE. Protesters say that this is about the people speaking up and demanding accountabilty.
"Everybody is for eliminating waste and abuse, but you don't do it with a chainsaw," Pete Wirth, who attended the rally, said.
"I am within spitting distance of 76 years old and I am so worried about my social security being taken away," Judy Jerome, organizer of Tesla Takedown, said.
"These are citizens, these are workers, these are the people who are standing up to American oligarchy and corporate greed," Shane Keyes, spokesperson for the Fight Oligarchy Club, added.
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have long maintained that their cuts are to make government more efficient and save the country from wasteful spending, fraud and abuse. They have a goal of reaching $1 trillion in savings from cost-cutting efforts.
Brian Campbell - Digital Producer
After many years in the newspaper industry, Brian Campbell joined Spectrum News as a digital producer. He graduated from Buffalo State with degrees in journalism and creative writing.
