LATEST NEWS:

"Heil Tesla": Controversial photo of Musk projected at Tesla factory in Berlin

"Heil Tesla": Controversial photo of Musk projected at Tesla factory in Berlin

A picture of Elon Musk making a controversial salute during a speech has been projected at Tesla's Gigafactory in Berlin. The projection included the billionaire's gesture, accompanied by the words "Heil Tesla."

Elon Musk, the world's richest man and a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has faced accusations that he made a Nazi salute twice during a speech to a crowd of Trump supporters at the Capital One Arena in Washington, shortly after the 78-year-old's second inauguration.

Although the intentions were unclear, the gesture of the hand extended forward and upward during the speech quickly spread to the front pages of newspapers around the world.


“I just want to say thank you for making this possible,” Musk said during his speech, referring to Trump’s victory in the presidential election. After that, he touched his chest with his hand and made a straight forward and upward motion with his palm facing down.

This image was projected onto Tesla’s Berlin factory by two left-wing activist groups: Led By Donkeys from the UK and the Center for Political Beauty from Germany. The group claimed responsibility for the projection on the X platform (formerly Twitter). Another message, with the word “Boycott” next to the Tesla logo, was also projected onto the factory building.

Led By Donkeys is a UK-based activist group known for creative actions that expose political hypocrisy. They have attracted attention by projecting quotes and tweets from politicians onto buildings and billboards, initially focusing on anti-BREXIT messages, then expanding their focus to other topics. In February 2024, they laid out thousands of children's clothes along a beach in Bournemouth to symbolise the children killed in the war in Gaza.

The Center for Political Beauty is a German activist group founded in 2009 that uses provocative and theatrical actions to address political apathy and social problems.

They have worked primarily to draw attention to refugee rights, the fight against fascism, and historical responsibility. One of their most prominent actions was in 2015, when they exhumed the bodies of refugees who had died on Europe's borders and reburied them in Berlin. /Telegraph/