Protesters target Tesla, Elon Musk, Trump in East Bay march

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - A growing wave of dissatisfaction with the Trump administration over a host of policy changes has crystalized into vehement anger towards Elon Musk, the director of DOGE.

In Walnut Creek's downtown shopping area on Saturday there was a vocal example of a new type of "retail politics." Upwards of a thousand demonstrators targeted a Tesla store on Broadway Plaza, the owner of Tesla, Elon Musk, and President Donald Trump.

"The country is being taken over by a fascist regime that's taking away our rights. Due process. This is scary," said Ned, a demonstrator who did not want to give his last name. 

Protester Cathy Kora said, "I grew up in the 60s, and I've never seen it so bad. And I'm worried that my grandchildren won't grow up in a democracy."

And Marcy, a demonstrator who didn't want to give her last name added, "I brought my grandkids. They need to see this. They need to protest with us."

The goal of the civil action was to force the Trump administration to reverse course on its sweeping cuts and reforms to government institutions.

Just a few dozen demonstrators a month ago in Walnut Creek have now grown into a sea of opposition.

"This is energy pouring in from people that have, that are fearing what is happening to our government," said an attendee.

Those fears have been stoked by word Friday that the FBI will start prosecuting people who vandalize Tesla products as domestic terrorists.

"This is no broadly applicable umbrella domestic terrorist criminal statute," said Dr. Brian Levin, professor emeritus in criminal justice at Cal State University in San Bernardino.  

Added Professor David Levin of the University of California College of the Law in San Francisco, "It could be that in the course of focusing on people you might worry are domestic terrorists, you might discover they have committed crimes."

That possible loose linkage has some civil libertarians worried an FBI domestic terrorism investigation could lead to increased surveillance of those espousing dissenting political speech.

"You can always have surveillance of demonstrations," said David Levin. "It's no different than it has been. It's just part of upping the pressure to scare people."

For now, fear is in short supply as those for and against the ongoing changes being made by the Trump administration are sounding off with regularity.

"I think we have a corrupt system that needs to be straightened out. A lot of waste, a lot of fraud," said Chuck, a republican voter who did not want to disclose his last name. "Elon Musk is just part of the solution." 

Countered Ned, a demonstrator who stayed at the rally for the full one-hour duration, "We have to resist. We have to be out here, and I think it's going to get bigger and bigger."

Organizers said they'll continue protests and hope for a national one-day movement in the coming weeks, to ratchet up pressure on the Trump administration as it ratchets up the pace of changes across the American landscape.

Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on the Instagram platform, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU.