On Saturday, March 8th, protests broke out at the Tesla dealership across the street from LHS. Even now, over a week later, people are impacted by the protest. Many students and staff continue to express dissent towards Elon Musk, particularly towards his role in United State’s politics. Although the largest protest yet was on the 8th, smaller ones have also taken place over the past several weeks.
“I thought it was really powerful, especially how close it was to a school and given everything going on with the political climate right now,” said Zharria Amienyi, Junior. The proximity to LHS gave students an up close, in person view of the protests, which is more impactful than a headline. Many other students agreed that the strike was important, largely due to Elon Musk’s role in the government.
“He’s a really terrible guy, I do not like him,” expressed Alex Herrera, who is not alone in this viewpoint. Especially because Littleton is directly across from a Tesla dealership, jokes and talk about Elon Musk are commonly heard in the LHS halls.
“Some of the signs were really creative, and I think it’s good that people are taking a stand on what they think,” said Liliana Neff, Freshman. The signs’ messages have lingered in the minds of LHS students.
When asked about if the protests will change anything, Amienyi said, “It depends on how many people join the protest, how many people are willing to stand together.” As of now, the protests have been small-scale, with their impact being largely local.
“I feel as though it would sway business, and there could be a potential loss of money for Tesla, but as of right now, I’m not sure,” Herrera said, playing with the idea. Certainly, the perception of Cyber Trucks, Musk, and Tesla as a whole has been worsening in a large portion of the student body here at LHS. Since January, Tesla has already lost 40 percent of their stock value.
Students have mixed feelings about joining the protests themselves, even if they support them occurring.
“I’m not sure [I would protest], I’d be at risk for my safety. That’s definitely a concern,” responded Amienyi.
Herrera was also worried about the danger of protesting, saying “Heck yeah [I would protest]. The only reason I wouldn’t is if there’s a threat of safety.”
An Anonymous student said that, “It really depends on the protest. If it’s for something like equal rights, definitely. But I also don’t mind just staying in the background.”
Another concern is the possibility of violence and vandalism at the protests, which is something that has been occuring at Anti-Musk protests throughout the nation.
“I think there should be no violent protests. It’s already a really violent world out there, and I don’t think we should make it worse… Violence is never the answer,” said Anonymous.
Neff agreed, but also noted that, “Sometimes, violent protest can make a bigger impact.”
Thus far, the protests have posed no threat to school security, according to Jay Brown, Campus Supervisor. “The only thing affecting school directly now is the government cutting the school funding. It’s been peaceful over there, we haven’t heard anything on it. It’s all been directed at Tesla and Musk so far,” said Brown.
Many students are concerned with the state of the world right now, but for some the protests have offered a glimmer of hope for the future. “I just hope it gets better and it leads to something more,” said Amienyi. There is likely to be another larger day of action on March 29th, which is being held nationwide.
