Musk's Nazi salute protested in Germany: The first 'Heil' in Berlin in 80 years

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's 'salute' at U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony has been protested in Germany. Activists projected Musk's gesture onto Tesla's factory in Berlin. The protesters also projected the word 'Heil,' which means 'hail' or 'salute' in German, at the beginning of the Tesla sign, changing it to 'Heil Tesla.'

Following his gesture, which resembled a Nazi salute, Musk was targeted by Berlin-based activists.

Activists led by the 'Center for Political Beauty' group and 'British Donkeys' shared photos and footage of the protest they organized on Wednesday night online.

The word 'Heil' (hail/salute) projected onto the automaker Tesla's factory building in Berlin created the message 'Heil Tesla,' a reference to the Nazi salute (Heil Hitler!) that honored Adolf Hitler.

In a statement to AFP, the founder of the Center for Political Beauty, Philipp Ruch, stated that Musk 'gave a Hitler salute, just as American neo-Nazis have been doing for years.'

HOW DID ELON MUSK RESPOND TO THE PROTEST?

Musk described the comparison between the Nazi salute and his own gesture as 'dirty tricks' and 'propaganda.'

The U.S. billionaire had faced criticism in Germany due to his open support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and his repeated insults toward German political leaders on the social media platform X.

With elections approaching in Germany, Musk had described the AfD as the 'last ray of hope for the country.'

Responding to the protest via his X account, Musk chose to mention the names of Nazi leaders Himmler, Hess, Goebbels, and Göring instead of forming coherent sentences.

Don’t say Hess to Nazi accusations!

Some people will Goebbels anything down!

Stop Goring your enemies!

His pronouns would’ve been He/Himmler!

Bet you did nazi that coming ??

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2025

News Source: 12punto