Activists sprayed paint on the exterior of a Tesla dealership in Montreal on Wednesday, as cases of vandalism climb in the United States and around the world against Elon Musk’s electric car company.
Montreal police arrested a young man and woman at the dealership on Décarie Boulevard in the city’s Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.
The climate group Last Generation Canada claimed responsibility. In a statement posted online, the group called on Canada to “stand up” to Musk, who they said is “destroying democracies and spreading climate denial.”
The same group has been involved in other protest stunts, such as when protesters climbed atop Montreal’s Jacques Cartier Bridge last year.
Acts of vandalism against the electric vehicle manufacturer have multiplied since U.S. President Donald Trump took office and appointed Musk, considered the world’s richest man, to oversee the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been slashing government spending and programs.
In recent weeks in the U.S., Tesla showrooms, fleets, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted, and dozens of protests have been held outside Tesla dealerships and factories.
The Vancouver International Auto Show removed Tesla from its event this week, saying its primary concern was the safety of attendees and exhibitors.
Some Canadians also recently joined a wave of “Tesla Takedown” protests, over Musk’s role advising Trump, who has in recent weeks slapped steep tariffs on Canadian goods, sparking an ongoing trade war, and repeatedly suggested Canada would be better off as the 51st state.
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Trump gave a boost to the company when he turned the White House driveway into an electric vehicle showroom. He promoted the vehicles and said he would purchase an $80,000 Model S, eschewing his fierce past criticism of electric vehicles.
Musk briefly addressed the issue Monday during an appearance on U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast, saying at least some of the vandalism is organized and paid for by “left-wing organizations in America, funded by left-wing billionaires, essentially.”
“This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong,” Musk wrote Tuesday on X, sharing a video of burning Teslas in Las Vegas. “Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”