‘Elon Musk has got to go’

Holding aloft signs that said, “Unplug Musk,” “Steal data from Mars,” and “MUSKrats out of our government,” about 200 people gathered in front of the Tesla dealership in Lawrence Township to protest Tesla founder Elon Musk on Feb. 23.

The protesters, who object to the role that Musk plays in the Trump Administration, lined both sides of the entrance road off Route 1 leading into the former Mercer Mall, now known as Mercer on One.

Drivers in minivans, pickup trucks, sedans and sport utility vehicles waved and honked their horns in support – but not the drivers of Tesla sedans that drove past the protesters.

Laura Zurfluh and Gabriela Sadote of Indivisible Cranbury, which organized the event, said the protesters want to let the Trump Administration know that they disagree with allowing an unelected figure – Elon Musk – to have access to sensitive government information.

Musk, who owns Tesla, is an adviser and overseer in the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that is systematically reviewing federal government departments in search of savings. Many government employees have been put on notice that their jobs are being eliminated.

“We wanted to find a way to express our resolve (against) the abuse by the president and this unauthorized person,” Sadote said. “We are protesting the abuse of the U.S. Constitution. That’s what is really driving this fear.”

The protest in front of the Tesla dealership in Lawrence Township was held back-to-back with a similar protest in front of the Tesla dealership in Cherry Hill on Feb. 22. It attracted about 300 protesters, said organizer Adam Sheridan of Cooper River Indivisible.

Using a bullhorn, rally leaders at the Lawrence Township event led the protesters in a call-and-response chant of “Hey hey, ho ho, Elon Musk has got to go” and “Love, not hate, makes America great.”

“This rally is for government workers,” a rally leader shouted through the bullhorn. “This rally is for children who will die of preventable diseases. This rally is for our immigrant neighbors.”

The protesters also heard from U.S. Rep. Herb Conaway, a Democrat who was recently elected to represent the Third Congressional District. The district includes Lawrence Township, East Windsor Township and Hightstown Borough.

“I have not seen anything like this in a decade,” Conaway said. “This is a travesty. We have to stand together as a people. We cannot rely on our Republican friends to say ‘no.'”

Musk is rampaging through the federal government, and no one knows what he will do with that information, Conaway said. It may never be known how many social security numbers and phone numbers to which he has gained access.

Former President Bill Clinton also launched a “reinventing government” initiative, but it took time to accomplish it, Conaway explained. Clinton relied on attrition to reduce the federal workforce.

“People (who have lost their federal jobs) will not be able to pay their mortgage or put food on the table. And for what? Trillions of dollars in tax cuts,” Conaway said of the efforts of DOGE.

The United States is the greatest nation on earth, but democracy is fragile, he said. The country is in a terrible crisis.

“We need active, educated citizens who know what their rights are,” Conaway continued. “This is about what we are doing today. This needs to be done all over the country. Organizing is absolutely critical. We have to stay together.”