Police in Texas stated they discovered “incendiary gadgets” at a Tesla dealership in Austin on Monday morning, because the Trump administration has pledged to crack down on vandalism and protests in opposition to Elon Musk’s automobile firm.
“On Monday, March 24, 2025, at roughly 8.04am, Austin police division (APD) officers responded to a discovered/deserted hazardous name on the Tesla dealership positioned at 12845 N US 183 Hwy SVRD NB,” Austin police division stated in a press release shared with CBS Austin.
“When officers arrived on scene, they positioned suspicious gadgets and referred to as the APD bomb squad to research. The gadgets, which had been decided to be incendiary, had been taken into police custody with out incident. That is an open and ongoing investigation, and there’s no additional data accessible for launch right now.”
Tesla dealerships and charging stations have been vandalized in current weeks, as anger in opposition to Musk’s unprecedented affect over the US authorities has spilled over. A person threw flaming beer bottles at a Tesla charging station in South Carolina in early March, setting each the charging station and himself on hearth, and a complete of almost 20 Tesla showrooms and charging stations have seen deliberate fires set since Donald Trump took workplace.
Hundreds of individuals have participated in peaceable protests exterior Tesla dealerships throughout the nation, and the showroom the place police stated the incendiary gadgets had been discovered was the topic of an indication on Saturday, KXAN reported. There isn’t any suggestion that the protest is linked to the gadgets.
Trump has fiercely defended Musk, who contributed nearly $300m towards his election marketing campaign and final week prompt that individuals who vandalize Tesla may very well be deported to serve jail sentences in El Salvador.
On Thursday, Pam Bondi, the US lawyer basic, introduced prices in opposition to three individuals she accused of “violent destruction of Tesla properties”, including: “The times of committing crimes with out consequence have ended. Let this be a warning: when you be a part of this wave of home terrorism in opposition to Tesla properties, the Division of Justice will put you behind bars.”
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