A group of Kitchener residents lined a sidewalk outside a Kitchener Tesla dealership Saturday, holding signs reading “Boycott Tesla” and “Keep Canada Strong and Free”—their message clear: they’re done supporting Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s empire. “His rhetoric is not welcome in our community; his motivations are not welcome in our community,” said protester, Prerna Somani. Saturday’s protest outside a Victoria Street North dealership inspired a steady stream of honks of support from passing drivers. The group hopes their protest will lead to more boycotts against the company as Canada duels with the United States powerhouse led by U.S. President Donald Trump and Musk. “I would definitely want our political leaders to take stronger stances against Tesla [and] not give rebates to the company,” said Somani. “They’re already decoupling from Starlink.” Starlink is a satellite internet service owned and operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Somani says the movement, dubbed “Tesla Takedown'” is more than just a protest. “We’re doing our best in all ways that is possible to find Canadian goods, Canadian services, Canadian products to support and it’s definitely a journey because you’re more conscientious of what you’re buying.” Tesla has been a target for protests and vandalism since Musk became a key figure in Trump’s administration. The “Tesla Takedown” protest events are posted on a website called Action Network, which individuals and community groups use to promote what the site describes as “progressive causes.” Tesla’s stock price has faced a downturn, recently dropping 30 to 35 per cent since the U.S. president rolled out his tariff plan against Canadian goods. “You’ll probably see a continued decline,” Retail Analyst Bruce Winder told CTV News. “Sales have dropped as well, especially in Europe and other countries that Mr. Trump is targeting with potential tariffs. I know in China there’s been some anti-Tesla sentiment. They’ve lost sales and market shares. What Elon Musk has done is lowered his pricing I believe by 15 per cent in China to try to entice consumers. So you might see a bit of a drop in price in some markets where there’s some sensitivity.” Winder says Musk’s political controversies are also pushing consumers away online. “Definitely people have decided to leave X as well and have joined another social media company from the former founder of Twitter called Bluesky.” As for if these protests will actually impact Tesla bottom line, Winder says it’s likely—at least in the short term. “I think that particularly in Canada, there’s going to be a negative impact on the brand,” he said. “There’s always a chance that consumers may forgive the brand. If it doesn’t change direction or change policy or change ownership, I don’t foresee sort of a rebound, at least in the near future.” “If the Tesla board is ready to kick Elon Musk out and continue building good EVs, sure, we’re happy to support them,” said Somani. “But the fact that Tesla produces good EVs is in question, because the Cybertrucks just went through a massive recall. We’re happy to support any company that wants to do good things for our environment, as long as their politics [are] aligned with what they’re trying to do.” CTV News has reached out to Tesla for comment. Meantime, with calls for picket lines outside more dealerships, protesters say this is just the beginning of a larger movement. “We need to participate; we need to contribute to continue this legacy of Canada as the happy mosaic of a society that it is,” said Somani.
