March 19 (UPI) — Vancouver International Auto Show officials forced Tesla exhibitors to withdraw from the auto show that runs from Wednesday through Sunday in Vancouver, Canada, due to safety concerns.
The safety concerns arise from recent protests, vandalism and what U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has called “acts of domestic terrorism” targeting Tesla vehicles and facilities in the United States and Canada.
“The Vancouver Auto Show’s primary concern is the safety of attendees, exhibitors and staff,” auto show executive director Eric Nicholl said in a statement.
“This decision will ensure all attendees can be solely focused on enjoying the many positive elements of the event,” Nicholl said.
Tesla’s exhibitors were given “multiple opportunities to voluntarily withdraw” from the event, Nicholl told CNN.
The auto show drew about 130,000 visitors during last year’s event and is one of Canada’s largest auto shows.
Many Canadians have participated in so-called “Tesla Takedown” protests in Canada, which target Tesla dealerships with “peaceful protests.”
“Take action at Tesla showrooms everywhere,” the Tesla Takedown website says while encouraging investors to “dump your stock.”
The protests ultimately target Tesla founder Elon Musk, who is President Donald Trump‘s senior advisor and director of the Department of Government Efficiency.
“Hurting Tesla is stopping Musk,” the Tesla Takedown website says. “Stopping Musk will help save lives and our democracy.”
The Tesla Takedown site does not mention Musk’s support of communities ravaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Los Angeles-area wildfires or the return of two astronauts from the International Space Station following the crewed test-flight failure of the Boeing Starliner.
More than 375,000 Canadians also have signed petitions asking the Canadian government to revoke Musk’s passport and dual citizenship status in Canada, which he obtained while a teenager through his mother, Maye Musk, who is a Canadian citizen.
Musk in February upset many Canadians when he claimed Canada “is not a real country” in a post he made on X.
He made the comment at the same time Trump has suggested making Canada the United States’ 51st state and amid tariffs turmoil between the two nations.
The violence and protests against Tesla dealerships and vandalism of privately owned Tesla vehicles in the United States are due to efforts by Musk and DOGE to identify and eliminate corruption, waste and fraud in the U.S. government, Musk told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday.
“They want to hurt Tesla because we’re stopping this terrible waste and corruption in the government,” Musk said. “I guess they’re bad people. Bad people do bad things.”
Bondi said the Department of Justice has charged several perpetrators with crimes arising from what she called “domestic terrorism” and carrying minimum sentences of five years imprisonment.
She said several Tesla charging stations and facilities were set on fire, and dealerships and vehicles vandalized, including being shot at by “protesters.”