By Kevin Hendricks
Two Sandoval County groups combined forces on March 13 to hold a peaceful protest outside the Tesla showroom on Santa Ana Pueblo.
The Democratic Party of Sandoval County and Sandoval County Indivisible organized the demonstration, which included over 100 people voicing their displeasure with Tesla CEO Elon Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cutting government services.
“We’re incensed. We’re angry about what’s happening in our country, and we know a lot of people feel the same way,” Alexandria Piland, chair of the Democratic Party of Sandoval County, said. “We want to bring attention to the fact that there is a man controlling our country who is gutting some of our most loved and needed institutions, and he wasn’t elected president. He bought the presidency from Trump for millions of dollars, and that’s not okay. Our presidency should not be for sale.”
The protestors gathered on the medians at the busy US 550 and NM 528 intersection for two hours, holding signs denouncing Trump and Musk. Hundreds of motorists passed through the intersection during the protest, with dozens honking in support and others yelling obscenities and backing Trump.
Corrales resident and Sandoval County Indivisible member Terry Eisenbart said her group was protesting because America needs to take a stand.
“We’re out here because it is time for America to speak up and stand up and be heard,” Eisenbart said. “We do not agree with what’s happening with Musk and DOGE and the Trump administration. So we’re out here with many issues, but right now, it’s DOGE.”
Demonstrations at Tesla showrooms have become increasingly common across the country as DOGE has slashed federal funding, resulting in cuts to programs and employees.
The nationwide protests have been mostly peaceful, including Thursday’s demonstration. However, some have resulted in arrests and the burning of cars and charging stations.
Earlier this week, Trump told White House reporters that violence against Tesla facilities will be treated as “domestic terrorism” because “they’re harming a great American company.”
The Santa Ana Pueblo Tesla location was vandalized in February, with photos showing a swastika spray-painted on a Cybertruck and the burnt shell of a Tesla sedan.
State Rep. Derrick Lente delivered a speech on the House floor before the protest. Lente, a Democrat from Sandia Pueblo whose district includes the Santa Ana Tesla dealership, directed the speech at people who don’t respect Native-owned businesses and land.
Lente said the reception was positive for the pueblos’ deals with Tesla two years ago and acknowledged that Musk “today is a polarizing figure in the world.”
“While I’m a member of the Democratic Party, there are things as a Democrat I don’t stand for,” Lente said. “And that is one, when people feel like they have the autonomy and authority to stand on indigenous land — aboriginal, indigenous land — to protest an indigenous business that is doing well and thriving for their community.”
He pointed to the vandalism, saying some people “have become more violent, more defacing in regards to their attempts to burn cars, deface buildings, and that’s not OK on tribal lands. That’s not OK.”
Protest organizers were committed to peaceful protests and respecting native sovereignty and land, staying on the medians and off of the pueblo.
“We respect native sovereignty. We respect their land. We do not want to intrude,” Piland said. “We are exercising our constitutional rights to assemble and to speak freely, and so we’re doing that in the United States on public property.”
Thursday was the first of several planned protests at the Tesla dealership near Bernalillo. Sandoval County Indivisible and the Democratic Party of Sandoval County will demonstrate each Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and every Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m.
“We’re going to keep going until we get the results we want,” Eisenbart said. “This is just a sample of what’s going on. You should see Santa Fe, Las Cruces and all over. The Democrats are uniting across the country and it’s happening right here in New Mexico.”
These are the same people who must think it’s just great to live here now, last in every category there is. Probably think Deb Haaland will do better. Insanity!