A man drove his vehicle into a group of protesters outside a Tesla dealership in Palm Beach County, Florida, but fortunately did not injure any of the demonstrators who were rallying against billionaire Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump over the weekend, according to authorities.
The demonstration was one of many across the U.S. targeting businesses linked to Tesla, led by Musk, in response to his affiliations with the Trump administration, which has focused on reducing federal funding and the workforce.
Incidents involving damage to property displaying Elon Musk’s electric car logo are emerging in various parts of the U.S. and abroad. Several notably violent occurrences include Cybertrucks set ablaze in Seattle and gunfire directed at a Tesla dealership in Oregon.
The protest took a chaotic turn on Saturday when Andrew Dutil drove his car onto the sidewalk where the protesters gathered at a slow speed, prompting people to flee to avoid being struck, as stated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Dutil was taken into custody and is facing an assault charge, according to court documents. No attorney was immediately listed in court records to represent Dutil.
Palm Beach County is also the location of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, which the president has famously dubbed the “Center of the Universe” on social media. Trump and Musk — via the Department of Government Efficiency — have initiated the dismantling of government agencies and programs, resulting in staff layoffs under the guise of eliminating government waste, fraud, and abuse.
