Participants donned protective helmets and wielded sledgehammers as critics of Elon Musk released their frustrations by demolishing an old Tesla destined for the junkyard.
This public art initiative was organized by the social media activist group Everyone Hates Elon. According to a spokesperson, an anonymous contributor provided a 2014 Tesla Model S with the aim of sparking conversation about wealth disparity.
On Thursday, participants gathered at Hardess Studios in south London, taking turns to strike the vehicle with sledgehammers and baseball bats. The damaged electric car, valued at around £14,000, is set to be auctioned in the coming weeks, with proceeds benefiting local food bank charities.
“This event allows Londoners to push back against far-right ideologies and billionaires, giving them an opportunity to express their feelings about the current global situation,” stated the group. “Therapy can be pricey, but this experience is on the house.”
Talia Denisenko, a 32-year-old writer draped in a Ukrainian flag, struck the car’s hood while Britney Spears’s Hit Me Baby One More Time played in the background. “My family is Ukrainian, and Elon Musk seems intent on keeping us distracted,” she remarked. “Current events feel quite disempowering. This serves as a small form of therapy.”
Alice Rogers, a 24-year-old researcher from the University of Cambridge visiting from Illinois, said, “Musk’s actions conflict with our constitutional values. I’m really troubled by what he’s doing—undermining agencies and slashing USAID. This was incredibly freeing. I don’t usually take part in such activities, but that felt satisfying.”
Everyone Hates Elon, which gained notoriety this year for its “Don’t buy a Swasticar” stickers, emphasized that the event—dubbed London vs Musk—should not be imitated elsewhere.
“This is a controlled event featuring a pre-owned Tesla that was heading to the scrapyard. We have instituted proper safety protocols,” a group representative explained. “We strongly advise against vandalizing other Teslas or any other vehicles.”
The car’s battery had been taken out for recycling.
“I’m appalled by what’s happening in America lately,” commented Lee Woods, a 45-year-old university lecturer who traveled two hours from Hampshire for the occasion. “I think Musk is leveraging his enormous wealth to advance far-right agendas.”
As the world’s wealthiest individual, Musk is in charge of the Trump administration’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge), a body assigned to significantly reduce government employment and the national debt.
Tesla’s stock plummeted by 13% in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting buyer dissatisfaction linked to Musk’s right-leaning politics. Calls for boycotts against the electric vehicle manufacturer have emerged on both sides of the Atlantic, alongside a global day of action that saw protests targeting numerous Tesla locations organized by the US group Tesla Takedown.
“My view of Musk has shifted dramatically,” stated Giles Pearson, 32, who delivered the first strike on the Tesla last Thursday. “Since acquiring Twitter, he has shifted hard to the right and alienated many people. I would not typically engage in something like this, but I’ve always wanted to smash a car.”
Tesla was contacted for a response.
