Nine people were arrested on Saturday during a large protest outside a Tesla dealership in New York City, where demonstrators rallied against Elon Musk’s involvement in massive federal workforce cuts ordered by President Donald Trump.

According to police, hundreds participated in the demonstration, which was part of a nationwide "Tesla Takedown" movement targeting Musk. Protesters also gathered outside Tesla showrooms in Jacksonville, Florida; Tucson, Arizona; and other cities, blocking traffic and waving signs with slogans such as "Burn a Tesla: Save Democracy" and "No Dictators in the USA."

Musk, the world’s richest person, is leading the Trump administration’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has spearheaded deep reductions in federal staff, leading to thousands of layoffs and the termination of numerous aid contracts and leases.

Neither Tesla nor the White House responded to requests for comment on Saturday night.

Some federal agencies have struggled to rehire essential employees, including those working on nuclear security, pandemic response, and national infrastructure. Since Trump’s inauguration on January 20, at least 100,000 of the 2.3 million federal employees have either accepted buyouts or been dismissed.

The protest’s organizers, through the website Action Network, urged people to sell Tesla stock and join picket lines, stating that separating Musk from Tesla would deal a significant blow to the administration.

Actor and filmmaker Alex Winter, who has publicly supported the movement, wrote in Rolling Stone that challenging Musk’s influence would be a direct strike against the Trump administration’s priorities of wealth and power.