Elon Musk
Anti-Musk protests at Tesla store in New York lead to arrests
Authorities say there were hundreds of demonstrators at the scene.
An anti-Elon Musk protest outside a Tesla store in New York over the weekend has led to as many as nine arrests, along with some protestors attempting to prevent some customers from entering the location.
Tesla’s Manhattan store was the target of anti-Musk protests on Saturday, and a report from Reuters notes that police went on to arrest nine demonstrators from the scene. Authorities say there were hundreds of protestors at the site, and crowds of them can be seen in footage from the Tesla location.
The Saturday protests were captured on camera and widely shared on X, showing many demonstrators attempting to stop customers from entering the store. One such customer, Angelo Martinez, can be seen being barred from entering as he attempted to make it to a test drive of the new Model Y, which he had scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
The video also shows at least a few protestors who made it all the way inside the store, and certain angles show that some of the glass in front of the store had been shattered.
The event comes amidst broader protests hitting Tesla’s stores around the world over Musk’s recent involvement with U.S. President Donald Trump’s government efficiency department, a re-branded agency the administration has used to slash federal agency workforces in recent weeks.
Last weekend, protestors could be seen at several Tesla stores including those in San Francisco, Washington D.C., two sites in Pennsylvania, and in Sweden, amongst others still.
You can see Martinez arguing with the demonstrators below.
??? BREAKING: TESLA DEALERSHIP OCCUPIED IN MANHATTAN
One agreeable participant even asked why anyone thinks they have a right to stop him from forcefully entering the building, with some reference to the ‘United States of America.’
Source: https://t.co/VH9KOxReAM pic.twitter.com/5nY4fw2B6i
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 1, 2025
READ MORE ON ANTI-TESLA PROTESTS: Suspect linked to four Tesla store attacks arrested with incendiary devices
Eventually, Martinez says he did manage to get into the Tesla store by roughly 2:15 p.m. with the help of authorities, and he was still able to complete his test drive, though later than planned.
“The new model Y is going to blow people’s minds,” Martinez wrote in a follow-up post on X.
Amidst some misunderstandings about whether he actually had an appointment for the demo drive or not, Martinez also shared a screenshot from the booking, along with providing a full statement as to what happened to him at the demonstration. You can read the full account from Martinez below, as detailed in a post on X on Saturday afternoon.
CONTEXT: MY POV OF WHAT HAPPENED!!
I had an appointment at the Tesla dealership in Manhattan today at 1:00 PM to test drive the new model Y.
Unfortunately I was met by protesters immediately coming down the street in my own Tesla as I was going to park in the parking garage down the street.
I had an appointment at 1 PM but didn’t get to go into the Tesla dealership until around 2:15 PM. As I tried to approach the entrance doors, I realized that there were people laying out in front, blocking the entrance along with MSM to take photos and videos.
There was broken glass from the protestors trying to breach. The tensions were high, people were screaming, yelling, and cursing with huge signs in protest of Elon.
As I approached the entrance to see what was occurring I was met by protestors chanting and yelling over me as I tried to figure out the whole situation. I became frustrated from the situation and pleaded to the protestors to please stop impeding on day to day life.
Once I realized I wouldn’t be able to come through the front, I approached NYPD and asked them what I should do. They had me stand off to the side as they tried to control the situation. I ended up being able to get in contact with the Tesla dealership and they allowed me to come in through the garage where the vehicles were being let out.
I will post the footage of the test drive separately as I want to show the context of what I experienced. These people were sick, mentally ill and didn’t care who they were going to bother in order to make their point.
Attached, you’ll find the email for confirmation of my reservation to test drive the new Model Y.
I hope this gives context to what occurred, and also shows how unhinged these psychopaths are. @elonmusk
Tesla’s Giga Berlin and police are still dealing with a protestor problem
Tesla CEO Elon Musk teased the insane capabilities of the next major Full Self-Driving update just hours after the company rolled out version 14.2 to owners.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2 had some major improvements from the previous iteration of v14.1.x. We were on v14.1.7, the most advanced configuration of the v14.1 family, before Tesla transitioned us and others to v14.2.
However, Musk has said that the improvements coming in the next major update, which will be v14.3, will be where “the last big piece of the puzzle finally lands.”
14.3 is where the last big piece of the puzzle finally lands
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2025
There were some major improvements with v14.2, most notably, Tesla seemed to narrow in on the triggers that caused issues with hesitation and brake stabbing in v14.1.x.
One of the most discussed issues with the past rollout was that of brake stabbing, where the vehicle would contemplate proceeding with a route as traffic was coming from other directions.
We experienced it most frequently at intersections, especially four-way stop signs.
Elon Musk hints at when Tesla can fix this FSD complaint with v14
In our review of it yesterday, it was evident that this issue had been resolved, at least to the extent that we had no issues with it in a 62-minute drive, which you can watch here.
Some owners also reported a more relaxed driver monitoring system, which is something Tesla said it was working on as it hopes to allow drivers to text during operation in the coming months. We did not test this, as laws in Pennsylvania prohibit the use of phones at any time due to the new Paul Miller’s Law, which took effect earlier this year.
However, the improvements indicate that Tesla is certainly headed toward a much more sentient FSD experience, so much so that Musk’s language seems to be more indicative of a more relaxed experience in terms of overall supervision from the driver, especially with v14.3.
Musk did not release or discuss a definitive timeline for the release of v14.3, especially as v14.2 just rolled out to Early Access Program (EAP) members yesterday. However, v14.1 rolled out to Tesla owners just a few weeks ago in late 2025. There is the potential that v14.3 could be part of the coming Holiday Update, or potentially in a release of its own before the New Year.
Elon Musk
SpaceX issues statement on Starship V3 Booster 18 anomaly
The incident unfolded during gas-system pressure testing at the company’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX has issued an initial statement about Starship Booster 18’s anomaly early Friday. The incident unfolded during gas-system pressure testing at the company’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX’s initial comment
As per SpaceX in a post on its official account on social media platform X, Booster 18 was undergoing gas system pressure tests when the anomaly happened. Despite the nature of the incident, the company emphasized that no propellant was loaded, no engines were installed, and personnel were kept at a safe distance from the booster, resulting in zero injuries.
“Booster 18 suffered an anomaly during gas system pressure testing that we were conducting in advance of structural proof testing. No propellant was on the vehicle, and engines were not yet installed. The teams need time to investigate before we are confident of the cause. No one was injured as we maintain a safe distance for personnel during this type of testing. The site remains clear and we are working plans to safely reenter the site,” SpaceX wrote in its post on X.
Incident and aftermath
Livestream footage from LabPadre showed Booster 18’s lower half crumpling around the liquid oxygen tank area at approximately 4:04 a.m. CT. Subsequent images posted by on-site observers revealed extensive deformation across the booster’s lower structure. Needless to say, spaceflight observers have noted that Booster 18 would likely be a complete loss due to its anomaly.
Booster 18 had rolled out only a day earlier and was one of the first vehicles in the Starship V3 program. The V3 series incorporates structural reinforcements and reliability upgrades intended to prepare Starship for rapid-reuse testing and eventual tower-catch operations. Elon Musk has been optimistic about Starship V3, previously noting on X that the spacecraft might be able to complete initial missions to Mars.
Elon Musk
SpaceX Starship Version 3 booster crumples in early testing
Photos of the incident’s aftermath suggest that Booster 18 will likely be retired.
SpaceX’s new Starship first-stage booster, Booster 18, suffered major damage early Friday during its first round of testing in Starbase, Texas, just one day after rolling out of the factory.
Based on videos of the incident, the lower section of the rocket booster appeared to crumple during a pressurization test. Photos of the incident’s aftermath suggest that Booster 18 will likely be retired.
Booster test failure
SpaceX began structural and propellant-system verification tests on Booster 18 Thursday night at the Massey’s Test Site, only a few miles from Starbase’s production facilities, as noted in an Ars Technica report. At 4:04 a.m. CT on Friday, a livestream from LabPadre Space captured the booster’s lower half experiencing a sudden destructive event around its liquid oxygen tank section. Post-incident images, shared on X by @StarshipGazer, showed notable deformation in the booster’s lower structure.
Neither SpaceX nor Elon Musk had commented as of Friday morning, but the vehicle’s condition suggests it is likely a complete loss. This is quite unfortunate, as Booster 18 is already part of the Starship V3 program, which includes design fixes and upgrades intended to improve reliability. While SpaceX maintains a rather rapid Starship production line in Starbase, Booster 18 was generally expected to validate the improvements implemented in the V3 program.
Tight deadlines
SpaceX needs Starship boosters and upper stages to begin demonstrating rapid reuse, tower catches, and early operational Starlink missions over the next two years. More critically, NASA’s Artemis program depends on an on-orbit refueling test in the second half of 2026, a requirement for the vehicle’s expected crewed lunar landing around 2028.
While SpaceX is known for diagnosing failures quickly and returning to testing at unmatched speed, losing the newest-generation booster at the very start of its campaign highlights the immense challenge involved in scaling Starship into a reliable, high-cadence launch system. SpaceX, however, is known for getting things done quickly, so it would not be a surprise if the company manages to figure out what happened to Booster 18 in the near future.
Tesla Full Self-Driving lands in a new country, its 7th
Tesla CEO Elon Musk teases insane capabilities of next major FSD update
