Thursday, January 23
Heil Tesla: Activists project Elon Musk’s Nazi Salute onto Gigafactory Berlin
On Wednesday evening, images began circulating on social media showing a controversial projection: a photo of Elon Musk performing a Nazi salute at a Trump inauguration rally. The billionaire is grimacing, his right arm extended, palm facing downward, in a gesture that clearly resembles a Nazi salute. The projection frames the word “Heil” juxtaposed with a giant “Tesla” logo on the side of the Gigafactory outside Berlin in order to create the provocative phrase: Heil Tesla.
The stunt was claimed by two activist groups: Led by Donkeys and the Centre for Political Beauty (Zentrum für Politische Schönheit). However, a key question remains: Did it actually happen?
Berlin-Brandenburg police have cast doubt on the claim. On Wednesday, they told Tagesspiegel that after consulting security guards at the Tesla factory, they believed the projection was fabricated. “We have not made any findings, even after consulting the security guards at the Tesla factory. This was never done at any time. The photo is a fake,” a police spokesperson said.
This contradicts the activist groups’ statements, who insist they used drones to carry out the display, with one spokesperson asserting, “They know it happened. Tesla has enough security surveillance cameras around the premises to find that out.”
This is not the first time these groups have targeted Elon Musk. Earlier this year, they projected similar political messages on Tesla’s Amsterdam headquarters, in order to protest his increasing support for far-right politics.
