The protest on Saturday was interrupted when Andrew Dutil drove his vehicle onto the sidewalk full of protesters at a slow speed, forcing people to scramble out of the way to avoid the being hit, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
A man drove his car into protesters outside a Tesla dealership in Palm Beach County, Florida, but did not injure any of those who had gathered to demonstrate against billionaire Elon Musk and President Donald Trump over the weekend, according to law enforcement.
It happened Saturday at the dealership at 5544 Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach.
The protest was interrupted when Andrew Dutil, 44, drove his vehicle onto the sidewalk full of protesters at a slow speed, forcing people to scramble out of the way to avoid the being hit, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
An arrest affidavit states that two women told authorities that they were protesting peacefully "with numerous individuals" when a black Nissan drove up on the curb toward them. They said they were in fear for their lives and believed the car would have run them over had they not moved out of the way. One woman said Dutil had driven by earlier, and was yelling at the protesters.
Additionally, videos from witnesses allegedly show the suspect "driving on the curb in front of the dealership and almost striking multiple people." He then stops and walks toward the dealership, the affidavit details.
The sheriff's office said a Tesla employee told them that Dutil walked in, stated that he stands with Tesla and then left.
No injuries were reported.
U.S. & World
Authorities said that when they arrived, Dutil was still parked in front of the dealership and was surrounded by multiple people. They arrested him "without incident."
Dutil faces an assault charge, according to court records. An attorney who could speak on Dutil's behalf wasn't immediately listed in court records.
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The planned protest was one of a slew across the U.S. at businesses associated with Tesla, the company led by Musk, in response to the billionaire's work with the Trump administration in cutting federal funding and the workforce.
Attacks on property carrying the logo of Elon Musk’s electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas. Several more violent incidents include Cybertrucks being set on fire in Seattle and shots fired at a Tesla dealership in Oregon.
Palm Beach County is also home to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, which the president has called the “Center of the Universe” on social media. Trump and Musk — through the Department of Government Efficiency — have begun dismantling government agencies and programs and laying off staff in the name of culling government waste, fraud and abuse.
