On Thursday, the participants gathered at Hardess Studios in south London to stage the demonstration. They took turns to swing at the car with sledgehammers and baseball batsread more

Critics of billionaire Elon Musk donned a protective helmet and smashed sledgehammers at a disused Tesla bound for the scrap heap, to let out their frustration against its boss. According to The Guardian, the public art project was organised by a social media campaign group called “Everyone Hates Elon,” in London.

The car in question was a 2014 Tesla Model S, which was provided by an anonymous donor “to create a debate about wealth inequality”, a spokesperson for the group said. On Thursday, the participants gathered at Hardess Studios in south London to stage the demonstration. They took turns to swing at the car with sledgehammers and baseball bats. The destroyed electric vehicle will now be auctioned in the next few weeks, and the proceeds will go to food bank charities.

“We’re giving Londoners a chance to stand up to far-right hatred and billionaires and express how they feel about the current state of the world,” said the group. “Therapy is expensive, but this is free.” One of the demonstrators was seen donning a Ukrainian flag as she slammed the old car’s bonnet. Britney Spears’s “Hit Me Baby One More Time” blared from a speaker, keeping the demonstrators motivated.

About the group ‘Everyone Hates Elon’

The UK-based group garnered attention all around the world after they distributed stickers with the slogan “Don’t buy a Swastika”. While speaking to The Guardian, the group representatives made it clear that the Thursday stunt which they called “London vs Musk” should not be replicated outside the event.

“This is a private event with a used Tesla, destined for the scrapyard – it’s a supervised, controlled art piece and there are proper safety measures in place,” said a spokesperson. “We urge people not to damage other Teslas or any other cars.” They also mentioned that the battery of the scrapped car was removed and recycled before they started hitting it with a sledgehammer.

“I’m just aghast at what I see going on in America at the moment,” said Lee Woods, a 45-year-old university lecturer who had travelled two hours from Hampshire for the event. “I think Musk is using his obscene wealth to promote the far right.” Musk has garnered severe backlash after he was appointed as the head of US President Donald Trump’s administration’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge).

The department was the brain behind the federal job cuts that left thousands of people without livelihoods. Not only this, the Space X CEO garnered backlash after he appeared to be performing a Nazi Salute at the Trump inauguration event.

The brewing disdain for Musk is also having a major effect on Tesla’s shares, which dropped 13 per cent in the first three months of 2025. During the Thursday event, protesters urged people to boycott the electric vehicle company.

“My opinion [on Musk] has changed hugely,” said Giles Pearson, 32, who dealt the first blow on Thursday. “Since buying Twitter he’s become seriously rightwing and alienated a lot of people by doing so. I would never normally do something like this … but I’ve always wanted to smash a car,” Tesla is yet to comment on the matter.