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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Technology
Dara Kerr and Nick Robins-Early

Eggings, swastikas and dog poop: Tesla bears brunt of people’s ire against Musk

An illustration of a Tesla sedan on fire against a red background
As the protests have multiplied, so has vandalism against Tesla’s brick-and-mortar business and individual vehicles. Illustration: Rita Liu/The Guardian

In the early morning hours of Donald Trump’s inauguration day, a person wearing a long black cloak and face mask wheeled a cart down an Oregon sidewalk. He was headed toward a Tesla showroom in Salem, and his cart appeared to be loaded with molotov cocktails, according to court documents. One by one, he took out the handmade explosives, lit them on fire and lobbed them at the glass-walled dealership.

By the time Salem police arrived, the showroom window was shattered, a fire was burning on the sidewalk out front, a nearby Tesla sedan was ablaze and the alleged vandal had fled. The whole scene was caught by security footage, according to an affidavit from a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The showroom’s general manager estimated $500,000 in damages, with seven vehicles struck and one completely destroyed.

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