A man was arrested and charged with assault after driving his car toward protesters outside a Florida Tesla dealership, authorities reported.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a planned protest at a West Palm Beach dealership on Saturday, where suspect Andrew Dutil drove onto the curb and slowly approached the protesters, forcing them to move to avoid being struck. No injuries were reported.
“The protestors had to move out of the way in order to avoid being struck by the vehicle,” stated the sheriff’s office.
Court records indicate Dutil, currently held in Palm Beach County Jail, faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. Information about legal representation or court appearances remains unavailable.
The Palm Beach Post reported Dutil was driving a black Nissan SUV near a crowd of over 100 protesters.
“He drove into a crowd of senior citizens. Everybody was able to move out, but two older women were really almost clipped,” Mark Offerman from the Democratic Progressive Caucus Palm Beach County, the protest organizer, told the newspaper.
Tesla did not respond to comment requests.
This protest was among several nationwide demonstrations opposing Tesla founder Elon Musk’s political activities and his work at the Department of Government Efficiency. Since January, DOGE has cut government spending and terminated thousands of federal employees.
While some Republicans support these measures, politicians from both parties have expressed concerns about rapid, significant changes to government operations.
The Democratic Progressive Caucus Palm Beach County plans to continue weekly protests at the same location.
“Elon Musk is destroying our democracy, and he’s using the fortune he built at Tesla to do it,” organizers stated in promotional materials.
Though many protests remain peaceful, approximately 80 incidents of vandalism affecting Tesla vehicles and charging stations have been reported, with damage to at least 10 dealerships.
The FBI recently noted that protesters were targeting Tesla properties “with arson, gunfire, and vandalism,” though law enforcement officials found no evidence of coordinated attacks.
These events are impacting Tesla financially. The company’s stock closed at $248.71 on Friday, down from its December high of $488.54, though still higher than much of its 2024 pricing.
At a recent company meeting, Musk encouraged employees to “Hang on to your stock,” suggesting better days ahead.
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