Anti-Elon Musk sentiment is gaining momentum across the UK and Europe, manifesting in a wave of biting satire and guerrilla activism. In London, provocative posters have appeared on bus stops and billboards, mocking Musk’s ties to far-right ideologies.
One of the posters went viral for showing Musk rising from a Tesla while giving a straight-arm salute, with the slogan: “Goes from 0 to 1939 in 3 seconds. Tesla-the Swasticar.”
Another poster read: “Now With White Power Steering,” depicting Musk and Donald Trump beside a red Tesla.
A group calling itself ‘Everyone Hates Elon‘ has taken responsibility for several of these satirical installations. One billboard mimics a movie promo titled ‘The Fast and the Führer’, warning viewers: “Parental Guidance. Tesla’s CEO is a far-right activist. Don’t give him your money.”
Such displays mirror the anger that has previously resulted in vandalism of Tesla vehicles in the US, but in Europe, satire and public art have taken centre stage. Activist groups across Germany, Italy and the UK are leading the charge. Outside Berlin, the Center for Political Beauty projected the word “Heil” on a Tesla factory, creating the phrase “Heil Tesla” next to an image of Musk saluting. In Italy, street art shows Musk peeling off his face to reveal Hitler’s underneath, with the words “Elon Mask.”
“There’s never been a target exactly like this,” said John Gorenfeld, a software engineer and co-founder of London-based protest group Takedown Tesla. “Nobody who is that rich and powerful has behaved that outrageously. There’s something campy and ridiculous about Musk’s brand of toxicity. And it opens up a real space to ridicule.”
Musk, who has over 218 million followers on X (formerly Twitter), has drawn criticism for sharing misinformation and backing far-right voices in British politics. He has called for the imprisonment of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and demanded the release of far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Activist groups say their aim is to hurt Tesla’s brand and stock as a form of protest against the billionaire’s politics. “The point of this is to show Musk and other billionaires that they are vulnerable and can’t act with impunity,” said Ben Stewart, co-founder of Led by Donkeys, which collaborated with the Berlin protest. “We have to harness global public opinion to push back.”
Tesla’s stock has fallen nearly 50% since its December peak, coinciding with Musk’s increased political activity and his role slashing government budgets. Tesla also reported a 13% drop in sales last week compared to the same time last year.
“What they’re trying to do is put massive pressure on me, and Tesla I guess, to you know, I don’t know, stop doing this,” Musk said at a campaign event in Wisconsin. “Long term, I think Tesla stock’s going to do fine, so maybe it’s a buying opportunity.”
The protests have included saluting balloon effigies of Musk, bumper stickers reading “Pre-2020 Model,” and satirical flyers placed on Tesla windshields warning drivers: “Driving a Tesla… means you’re propping up Elon Musk, a man who promotes climate deniers and fossil-fuel junkies.”
In Germany, Center for Political Beauty director Philipp Ruch said anger towards Musk stems from his support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party. “The first day that the administration comes in, he does the Hitler salute,” Ruch said. “This is something we couldn’t tolerate, politically and artistically.”
Ruch’s group specialises in “overwriting” public imagery with satirical projections. One such light installation on a Tesla dealership has reportedly prompted a police investigation. Images of the event went viral online.
Meanwhile, prank products like “Musk-B-Gone” air fresheners and life-sized Musk cutouts thanking Tesla users at charging stations continue to pop up across Europe.
“There are some people who are coming at Musk as though he’s some sort of passive agent of Trump,” Sutcliffe said. “There’s other people who perceive Musk as somebody who’s a unique type of threat that we really haven’t seen before in terms of his economic control and control of the information space.”
‘Hands Off!’ protests erupt across the US and beyond
The satire campaign is unfolding against the backdrop of a larger, coordinated protest movement against the Trump administration and Musk’s role within it. On Saturday, more than 1,200 “Hands Off!” rallies were held across all 50 US states. Civil rights activists, labour unions, LGBTQ+ organisations, and other groups took to the streets to protest sweeping federal cutbacks and controversial social reforms.
Demonstrators criticised the closure of Social Security offices, healthcare cuts, and the rollback of LGBTQ+ protections. Elon Musk, who now heads the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), has been at the centre of the controversy for overseeing deep cuts to federal agencies. While Musk insists these changes save taxpayer money, protesters argue essential services are being dismantled.
“They’ve woken up a sleeping giant, and they haven’t seen nothing yet,” activist Graylan Hagler said in Washington, DC. In New York, marchers held signs saying “Hands Off Our Democracy,” while in Boston, crowds rallied around protecting education and healthcare. Demonstrations also spread to cities like London and Berlin, reflecting concerns about the global implications of the Trump-Musk agenda.
Despite growing public opposition, the White House dismissed the protests, accusing Democrats of trying to extend benefits to undocumented immigrants at the expense of American seniors. But for protesters like Roger Broom, a former Reagan Republican in Ohio, the situation is dire: “He’s tearing this country apart… It’s just an administration of grievances.”
(With inputs from NYT)
