Another 'Tesla Takedown'
““We haven’t done this since the Sixties””
“Maggie comes fleet foot, face full of black soot
Talkin’ that the heat put plants in the bed, but
The phone’s tapped anyway, Maggie says that many say
They must bust in early May, orders from the DA
Look out kid, don’t matter what you did
Walk on your tip-toes, don’t try NoDoz
Better stay away from those that carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose, watch the plainclothes
You don’t need a weather man to know which way the wind blows”
I planned on driving to the Tesla dealership in Northbrook this morning (1200 Skokie Boulevard) for a ‘Tesla Takedown,’ but the Palestinians announced a demonstration on behalf Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia graduate student who the Trump administration is trying to deport because Trump doesn’t want Mr. Khalil expressing views that Trump ‘supposedly’ finds offense. I’ve been closely following Mr. Khalil’s case, so the Palestinian event took precedence.
All was not lost, however. I received a text alert from another photographer this morning about a ‘Tesla Takedown’ at the Tesla Gold Coast dealership (901 North Rush Street) scheduled for noon today. Given that the Palestinian rallies always start late, I could still make their 1:00 PM rally if I arrived before 2:00 PM.
Given the recent vandalism of Teslas, electric-charging stations, and showrooms, any ‘Tesla Takedown’ has the potential for graffiti-like vandalism, bricks hurled at windows, and arson. While I don’t condone violence, it does make for arresting images.
Keep in mind that earlier in the week, a 26-year-old woman was arrested for spray painting the windows of a Tesla dealership in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Her actions did not occur during a ‘Tesla Takedown,’ which the organizers characterize as peaceful protests.
Elon Musk is not helping his company when it comes to vandalism, violence, and boycotts. The Tesla board of directors should be up in arms with Musk after he called Social Security a Ponzi scheme, dismantled USAID, insisted that confidential taxpayer return information to enforce the immigration laws be turned over to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”), supported European far-right politicians, called Senator Mark Kelly a traitor after Kelly visited Ukraine, and effectively threatened to ‘primary’ legislators who do not toe the Trump line, among his countless other obnoxious deed and comments.
The Trump Administration is not helping, either. Many people were offended by the March 11, 2025 Tesla promotional event in front of the White House, where Trump and Musk were shilling for Tesla. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s decision to tout Tesla stock earlier this week was highly inappropriate, most likely violating Federal ethics regulations, particularly because Lutnick indirectly holds a multi-billion stake in Cantor Fitzgerald, an investment bank that he formerly headed and which now owns millions of dollars in Tesla stock. At this time, there is no evidence that Lutnick has yet to divest himself of his interest in Cantor Fitzgerald despite apparently having agreed to do so. As an aside, one of the central questions that Trump’s autocratic rule has put on the table is: Who is going to enforce those regulations given Trump’s disdain of the law?
Fortunately, there was no violence today. Somewhere between 50 and 75 demonstrators flanked the Tesla dealership at the intersection of Rush and Delaware. The exact number is difficult to determine because people came and went while I was present for the better part of 70 minutes. Plenty of passing cars approvingly honked their horns as they passed the signs held aloft.
While I was present, I saw a couple of people in the showroom. At one point, a family of four exited the building. The demonstrators did not hassle the family, but several demonstrators did encourage parents to shop elsewhere for a new car.
Surprisingly, CPD changed its posture this week. Last weekend, when 150 people marched from Jane Byrne Plaza to the Gold Coast dealership, the CPD bicycle brigade set up a perimeter around the dealership, thereby denying demonstrators access to the sidewalks adjacent to the showroom. Today, three or four CPD officers were inside the dealership, but other police officers remained largely on the other side of the street. At one point, the officers marched through the crowd, but within five minutes, they returned to their original position.
In talking later with several photographers at the Palestinian demonstration, I sensed a consensus that the ‘Tesla Takedowns’ will become weekly events, much like the pro-Palestinian demonstrations were through much of 2024. If the organizers of the ‘Tesla Takedowns’ want more than a “feelgood” event, they must give some thought to street theater. Without speeches, chants, theatrics, celebrities, or musicians, the demonstrators will quickly succumb to boredom, particularly when rising temperatures and blue skies produce more attractive ways to spend leisure time. As one reporter for a local television station responded when I asked him if he would be covering one of the weekly Palestinian rallies in November of 2024, “No. It isn’t news anymore because they are out there every week.”
My friend Jeff, who owns a Tesla—bought long before Elon Musk became Public Enemy No. 1—is looking to resell it, but he reports that the resale prices are terrible. My friends Tom and Jon and I each jokingly offered to chip in $100 if we could push it off a cliff. Maybe the ‘Tesla Takedown’ organizers could do a promotion outside the Tesla store. “Bring your used Tesla down, and we will have a car carrier on the street to collect it for donation to Kars for Kids. For entertainment, the organizers should consider flying in the first generation of kids who sang one of the most annoying earworms in history. Before making this great idea a reality, the organizers should first obtain the necessary city permits.
For those who are interested in future ‘Tesla Takedown’ events, you can find the schedule here. Saturday, March 29 has been designated a “Global Day of Action, with ‘Tesla Takedowns’ scheduled at 277 Tesla locations in the United States and over 500 around the world. The one at the Chicago Gold Coast Tesla dealership begins at noon and runs through 2:00 PM.
At this time, no ‘Tesla Takedowns’ are scheduled in Greenland. Anyone living there can fly to Hämeenlinna, Finland or Halifax, Nova Scotia for scheduled takedowns, but check before boarding the plane that the event is still on.
[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]
The Hated Logo on the Hood of a Car Parked Outside the Dealership
"As Seen on TV"
"Elon Musk Believes in Mass Shooter Ideology" Whatever that Means
Twin Signs
With Dignity
Tesla Shareholders Are Not Happy About the ‘Tesla Takedowns’
A Party on the Street
Clever Wordplay
"Tesla Fuels Fascism!"
Just Passing Through
Observing
Redefining 'Fraud Waste and Abuse'
Carrying a Heavy Load
Hauling Out Toni Morrison
Keeping Order in the Showroom
The Relievers Arriving
"Tesla Hate"
Showing Where He Apparently Hopes the Stock Price Ends Up
People Remember
The Early Arrivals
CPD Officers Heading Back to the Other Side of the Street
No Vandals at the Tesla Store, But If They Were There, They Might Steal the Handles
Anybody Scheduling a Test Drive?
The Headcount Is Increasing
Some People Think Musk Kills Desks; He Must Feed Them Into a Wood Chipper
Speaking Out on a Saturday Afternoon in March
A Patriotic Takedown
A Tesla Outside the Dealership Remains Undisturbed By the Protesters, But It Was Ticketed By the City of Chicago, or as Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan One Sang, “Don’t Follow Leaders, Watch the Parking Meters”
Photographer’s Note: The images in this article were captured using Leica M11 cameras, including a Leica Monochrom, which captures images in glorious black and white—no color filters. No autofocus, and I only use manual exposure with no fill flash.
Copyright 2025, Jack B. Siegel (except the first two images in the post, which are copyrighted 2024). All Rights Reserved. Do Not Alter, Copy, Display, Distribute, Download, Duplicate, or Reproduce Without the Prior Written Consent of the Copyright Holder.
