Hundreds of protests at Tesla showrooms around the world are expected on Saturday, including multiple ones organized across Canada.
Dubbed the Tesla Takedown’s Global Day of Action, it is the latest demonstration by those who object to the role Tesla CEO Elon Musk has played in the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Protests are expected in Canadian cities, including Ottawa, Montreal, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Halifax, as well as four scheduled in B.C.’s Lower Mainland over the weekend.
Demonstrators say they want people to sell their Tesla vehicles and dump any stock in the company.
Vancouver police have said they’ll be deploying more than 130 extra officers to maintain order at protests.
Musk heads the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency and has been tied to controversies that include publicly voicing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party and laying off thousands of federal workers in the U.S. He has also been condemned for a gesture during a rally marking Trump’s inauguration that critics have said resembled a Nazi salute.
In Canada, Musk has drawn criticism for supporting Trump’s plans to make Canada the 51st U.S. state and calling then-prime minister Justin Trudeau the country’s “governor” in a January social media exchange.
An online petition was launched in February asking Trudeau to strip Musk of his Canadian citizenship, accusing the CEO of engaging in activities that “go against the national interest of Canada.” It received more than 375,000 signatures.
Tesla dealerships were also hit with vandalism in Canada, with paint sprayed on the exterior of one Montreal location and 80 vehicles scratched at a lot in Hamilton.
Earlier this month, organizers of the Vancouver International Auto Show banned Tesla because of concerns about the safety of workers, attendees and exhibitors.
