Elon Musk faces backlash over controversial rally gesture
Activists from the United Kingdom and Germany projected an image of Elon Musk making a controversial gesture from Donald Trump's election rally onto the wall of Tesla's Berlin factory. This projection was accompanied by the slogan "Heil Tesla," a reference to Nazi terminology. Elon Musk responded to the incident in his characteristic style.
Two left-wing activist groups—Britain's Led By Donkeys and Germany's Center for Political Beauty (Zentrum für Politische Schönheit)—took responsibility for projecting the provocative image on the wall of Tesla's Gigafactory near Berlin. In addition to the image of Musk making a gesture reminiscent of a Nazi salute, the words "Boycott" and Tesla's logo were displayed on the building.
The projection was a response to Elon Musk's actions during a speech at a rally of Donald Trump's supporters at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The billionaire made a gesture resembling a Nazi salute by striking his chest and extending his hand in front of him with the palm facing downward. Musk repeated this gesture twice during his appearance.
Elon Musk under fire. "This is boring"
Musk addressed the controversy on the X platform (formerly Twitter), responding to comments from right-wing users. He claimed, "The attack of calling everyone Hitler is tiring." He also accused his critics of supporting Hamas.
The protests prompted varied reactions among experts. Kurt Braddock, a communications professor at American University specializing in the study of extremism, commented in an interview with the Associated Press that "he knows what he saw and what the response to it was among elements of the extreme right including neo-Nazis," Braddock said.
Who are the protest organizers?
Led By Donkeys is a British activist group known for targeting politicians' hypocrisy. They gained fame by projecting politicians' statements and tweets onto buildings and billboards. In February 2024, they organized an installation on Bournemouth beach comprising thousands of children's clothes, symbolizing the victims of the war between Israel and Hamas.
The Center for Political Beauty has been active since 2009 and employs provocative, theatrical actions to combat political apathy and address social issues. The group focuses on refugee rights, fascism, and historical responsibility. In 2015, they conducted a controversial action involving the exhumation and reburial in Berlin of refugees who died at Europe's borders.
