Activists project ‘Heil’ with image of Musk saluting on Tesla plant in Germany
Political activists in Germany say they projected an image of Elon Musk’s infamous raised-arm salute and the word “Heil” onto the outside of his Tesla plant.
The gesture made by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk at US President Donald Trump’s inauguration has drawn comparisons to the Nazi salute, a claim Musk has rejected.
Campaigners from German group the Center for Political Beauty and British activists Led by Donkeys share pictures and footage online of the protest action they say they staged late Wednesday.
The word “heil” is seen projected onto the factory near Berlin in the font of the automaker’s logo next to the existing name Tesla, forming the message “Heil Tesla,” a paraphrase of the Nazi greeting that honored Adolf Hitler.
The world’s richest man @elonmusk is promoting the far right in Europe. Don’t buy a @Tesla.
Location: Tesla Gigafactory, Berlin.
(In collaboration with @politicalbeauty) pic.twitter.com/xaacsX4Qw4— Led By Donkeys (@ByDonkeys) January 23, 2025
Philipp Ruch, founder of the Center for Political Beauty, says in comments to AFP that Musk had given “a Hitler salute, just like American neo-Nazis have been practicing for years.”
Musk has rejected as “dirty tricks” and “propaganda” any comparison between the Nazi salute and his gesture, which he made twice while saying “my heart goes out to you” to the audience.
Musk has already drawn criticism in Germany for his vocal support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and repeatedly insulting German political leaders on his X social media platform.