The façade of a Tesla showroom in the Ypenburg district of The Hague has just been spruced up with some brand-new anti-fascist slogans.
Anyone entering the building from Monday morning (February 3) onwards will now be welcomed by painted swastikas on the door, as well as ‘No to Nazis’ and ‘Fuck off fascists’ written on the walls, reports the NOS.
Never-ending controversy
This action is just one of the many ways people have been expressing opposition to Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his recent support for far-right politicians in Europe and the US.
Dutch anti-fascist protesters painted swastikas on a Tesla store in The Hague.
— Oliver Markus Malloy (@malloy.rocks) February 5, 2025 at 7:10 AM
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Musk has expressed support for the German extreme-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and has been given a prominent position in Trump’s new government, heading an institution to abolish regulations that companies see as a nuisance.
His latest controversy involves making what appears to be a ‘Nazi-style’ salute after delivering a speech at Trump’s inauguration.
In response to the gesture, German and British activists posted a photo of the salute and the word ‘heil’ being projected onto a Tesla factory in Grünheide.
Tesla isn’t cool anymore
But Musk’s antics aren’t just hurting his public image; they’re also hurting his one true love — companies.
Well, his company, to be precise. Tesla sales in the Netherlands dropped sharply last month, reaching the lowest point in a year and a half, reports RTL Nieuws.
It’s still too early to be sure to what extent this drop is due to Musk’s far-right descent and to what extent it’s a consequence of other factors, such as competition from Chinese companies.
What is surely Musk’s doing, though, is the fact that many Dutch people now feel shame about their cars, with roughly 1 in 3 Dutch Tesla owners wanting to sell.
But hey, who needs a company when you can have prominent government positions instead? 🙃
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