Rantz: Anti-Musk, Tesla Takedown protests are organized, not grassroots

If you show up to an anti-Elon Musk “Tesla Takedown” protest, don’t be surprised if you keep seeing the same faces. That’s because this isn’t the spontaneous grassroots movement the left-wing media pretends it is. It’s orchestrated—and often funded—by far-left activist groups like Indivisible and Troublemakers, with the same usual suspects rotating between protests under different banners.

Over the weekend, protesters gathered outside Tesla showrooms to chant that Musk is a “Nazi” and a “fascist”—while simultaneously demanding his imprisonment and deportation. You can’t make this stuff up. Local media, of course, framed it as just another group of everyday citizens voicing concern, completely glossing over the fact that “Tesla Takedown” is professional activism dressed up in grassroots drag. These are not new movements — they’re recycled outrage from the same network of activist groups, rebranded to fit the narrative of the week.

The Seattle Times, for example, makes vague references to “organizers” behind the protests, as if these are merely community organizers who felt called into action. What they’re leaving out is that local chapters of the George Soros- and Democratic party mega donor-funded Indivisible are behind many of the events. The group doesn’t even hide it.

In Bellevue, for example, Seattle Indivisible promoted their “Tesla Takedown” as part of “Indivisible’s national strategy to tie Musk and his business interests to his corrupt efforts to dismantle the government.” Meanwhile, Indivisible provided NBC News a statement admitting it’s their members behind the protests.

They’re not alone.

Groups with similar memberships are behind the anti-Musk protests

The Democratic Socialists of America planned their anti-Musk performances in downtown Seattle, and the Troublemakers planned their activism around the city. The people involved are essentially professional activists who always organize around some cause and group.

Troublemakers isn’t new, though you wouldn’t know that from a National Public Radio report that quotes co-founder Valerie Costa as merely a “community activist.” In The Seattle Times coverage from this past weekend? Costa is described as merely a “protester.” But the Troublemakers is a radical environmentalist group that is itself essentially an offshoot of 350 Seattle, which Costa was also involved. Costa was also working with the Community Alliance for Global Justice at one point.

The overlap between groups is pretty significant. It’s why you see the same people at so many protests hosted by different groups. Though don’t count on media organizations like KING 5 to report that. The station claimed the anti-Musk “Tesla Takedown” protests just “popped up” as if they were organic.

Connecting the dots

But from the Women’s March and the anti-police activism to the anti-Amazon and anti-Israel/antisemitic rallies, it’s the same professional activists recycling outrage under different labels. They rely on shared networks, resources, and mailing lists to mobilize whoever’s ready to scream next.

For example, if you text the keyword MUSK to 51905, you get Tesla Takedown information. But several weeks ago, had you texted the keyword CEASEFIRE to that very same number, you’d be prompted to spread progressive anti-Israel propaganda.

The number, which is called a “short code,” is operated by The Disruption Project, which is also helping to organize the anti-Musk “Tesla Takedown” protests.

“New groups” are just repackaged old groups

Sometimes, a protest is led by a “new” group—but scratch the surface, and you’ll almost always find it’s just an offshoot of a larger, often national, organization. Other times, it’s the same professional activists bouncing between causes, organizing under whatever banner suits the moment.

When these “new” groups pop up, there’s often a quick surge in membership—and left-wing media rushes to report it as proof of some organic, grassroots momentum. What they conveniently leave out is that many of these “new members” are just the same activists who belong to a dozen other like-minded groups. They’re not fired-up locals suddenly inspired to act—they’re professional protesters who never left.

The next large-scale protest is hosted by a group called Hands Off 2025. It’ll take place across the country on April 5, and locally at the Seattle Center. The language and art from its site seem very similar to what is put out by Indivisible. That’s because Seattle Indivisible is co-hosting the event.

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