Musk condemns ‘terrorist’ attack on Tesla dealership in Italy
A fire at a Tesla dealership in Rome, Italy early on Monday morning destroyed at least 17 of the brand's electric vehicles and part of the building.
Police have not apprehended any suspects or named a motive behind it. According to Italian media reports, investigators are considering several theories, including arson.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk condemned the incident as “terrorism,” effectively linking it to the ongoing string of protests and violent attacks against facilities linked to his car company and individual private vehicles. The anti-Tesla violence was initially confined to the US, but has recently spread to other parts of the world.
A Tesla dealership was vandalized in Berlin on Monday when Neue Generation activists spray painted the entrance to the facility. Another German Tesla dealership in the northern city of Verden made headlines over the weekend when seven vehicles were burned. An investigation into the fire is ongoing.
Last week, the FBI launched a task force to address the growing number of violent incidents related to Tesla. In the US, the string of attacks, which include vandalism and arson, have been officially designated as “domestic terrorism,” FBI Director Kash Patel has said, vowing to punish those behind the incidents.
“The FBI has been investigating the increase in violent activity toward Tesla, and over the last few days, we have taken additional steps to crack down and coordinate our response,” Patel wrote in a post on X. “This is domestic terrorism. Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice.”
Musk has become an increasingly polarizing figure due to his close ties to US President Donald Trump and his work as the head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an unofficial agency tasked with slashing government spending. Since January, dozens of Tesla-linked locations have been hit by protests, with Musk suggesting the campaign could be a coordinated effort bankrolled by major Democratic donors, including George Soros.
Trump has condemned the attacks, threatening harsh penalties, including sending those found guilty to a mega prison in El Salvador.
