Activists Target Musk’s Hollywood Diner, Speak of His Anti-Trans Views
Demonstrators gathered outside Elon Musk’s newly opened Tesla Diner over the weekend, launching a high-visibility protest that featured inflatable effigies and sharp criticism of the tech billionaire’s public persona and political stances.
Roughly 75 protesters assembled Saturday outside the 24-hour diner on Santa Monica Boulevard, according to Joel Lava, an organizer with the activist group Tesla Takedown. The group, which has led demonstrations at Tesla showrooms nationwide, unveiled towering inflatable caricatures of Musk performing a Nazi salute while wearing a black Tesla T-shirt and his signature baseball cap. Others carried signs reading “Doge Kills, Musk Steals” and “Boycott Tesla.”
The protest comes less than a week after the Tesla Diner opened without fanfare on July 21. Promoted by Musk since 2018 as a retro-inspired “drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant,” the Hollywood-area location features futuristic branding, including burgers served in Cybertruck-shaped boxes and on-site EV charging stations.
A review of the diner’s food, written by Rolling Stone writer Miles Klee, was dire. He described a burnt patty on a hamburger that was missing half of the bun on the bottom and uninspired “epic bacon.” Klee called it “the Cybertruck of restaurants.”
Lava told CNN that the protest was organized quickly following the diner’s surprise debut. He expects similar demonstrations to continue throughout the summer, adding that the location’s proximity to West Hollywood—a neighborhood known for its strong LGBTQ+ community—fueled backlash against Musk’s public statements and perceived anti-trans positions.
“This is the world’s most renowned anti-trans advocate who just opened a diner in West Hollywood,” Lava said. “The community is not very supportive of Elon.”
Though the diner is technically outside West Hollywood city limits, it sits adjacent to the neighborhood’s border and has become a focal point in ongoing tensions surrounding Musk and Tesla’s public image.
Tesla Takedown organizers say more than 40 protests were held nationwide this weekend. The group has staged weekly demonstrations in multiple cities, citing concerns over Tesla’s labor practices, Musk’s social media activity, and the company’s broader cultural footprint.
Tesla reported a 16% drop in automotive revenue for the second quarter, as overall company revenue fell 12% compared to the same period last year, according to the electric carmaker’s latest earnings report.
Sales of the company’s flagship vehicles—the Model Y and Model 3—were down 12% year over year, while deliveries of higher-end models, including the Cybertruck, saw a sharper decline of 52%.
The disappointing financial results triggered a market response last week. Tesla shares (TSLA) closed at $316.06 on Friday, marking a more than 4% weekly decline. The stock had already tumbled 9% on Thursday alone. Since hitting a peak of $479.86 on December 17, Tesla shares have dropped by approximately 34%.
