Tesla Takedown Protests Were More Astro Turf Than 'Grassroots'

Posted • March 31, 2025: Asra Nomani @AsraNomani: “I went to the Tysons, Va., #TeslaTakedown protest on Tyco Road for Fairfax County Times last Saturday, locals calling on America to "deport Elon Musk," and saw familiar faces from local Democrat Party activism. I documented identical messaging to protests nationwide and then built a Pearl Project database of 304 protests that reveals that indeed the protests are more Astro Turf than "grassroots." Here is the public database: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13MOGhdMPc-_lGGdEGkS0QVSayczGG7Z5rlk_LUxdCTk/ —— I know when something is AstroTurf. Fun fact: I was among the first reporters (if not first) to put the concept of "Astro Turf" lobbying into the pages of the Wall Street Journal as an international trade reporter. While local Tesla Takedown protests may appear spontaneous and community-driven, they are the product of well-funded, tightly coordinated campaigns led by national political organizations like the Indivisible Project, MoveOn.org, and professional protest firms.

These groups use digital platforms, pre-scripted chants, pre-printed signs, and nationwide toolkits to manufacture the appearance of grassroots activism, and the messages on Tyco Road mirror the language of protests nationwide. This kind of organizing is known as "AstroTurfing"—a term used to describe top-down efforts that mimic authentic, bottom-up civic engagement. Critics say these operations mislead the public, distort the media narrative, and erode trust in genuine democratic movements by masking partisan objectives behind a veneer of local outrage. What do you think? You'll see the protestors at the Tesla Tysons dealership turn hostile and even bigoted as I do my reporting. Key findings: ⚫️ Groups and individuals allied with the Democratic Party have organized 100% of the protests. ⚫️ Only about 15 organizations and their affiliates are behind the protests nationwide. ⚫️ The most involved groups promoting the #TeslaTakedown protests have combined revenues of at least $43.1 million.

The groups include: ⚫️ Troublemakers, a Seattle-based professional protest organization. ⚫️ Disruption Project, a Philadelphia 501(c)(4) that describes itself as "dedicated to supporting uprisings, resistance, and mass direct action; Disruption Project and Troublemakers have sponsored about 70%, or 220, of the protests. Indivisible Project, 501(c)(4), has organized at least about 28%, or 86, of the protests. It says it has scheduled 600 #HandsOff anti-Musk protests on April 9. It has $9.9 million in annual revenues. ⚫️ Indivisible Action, Hybrid PAC. ⚫️ Local Democrat Party chapters have organized some protests, including members' participation in the Fairfax County protest. ⚫️ Other Democrat organizations have sponsored protests, including: the AFLCIO. ⚫️ MoveOn, SwingLeft ⚫️ Third Act Initiative Inc. @ThirdActOrg - Third Act Initiative Inc., a Madison Avenue political nonprofit based in New York City, promoted the Tyco Road protest through its local "Rocking Chair Rebellion" chapter. According to its 2023 tax filing, Third Act Inititative Inc. has revenues of $2 million.

⚫️ Democrat Socialists of America @DemSocialists, 501(c)(4), with $5.8 million in annual revenue. ⚫️ Fight Oligarchy Club. ⚫️ 50501. ⚫️ Tax Reformers LLC, which organize under the platform TaxElon.us. ⚫️ @ActionNetworkHQ, 501(c)(4) ⚫️ @LetsMobilizeUS are the two Democrat platforms promoting the protests.” (…)

• More at: Fairfax County Times - Local #TeslaTakedown reveals ‘grassroots’ protests are AstroTurf
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