98-year-old British World War II veteran Ken Turner has gone viral after using a Sherman tank to crush a Tesla vehicle in an act of protest against Elon Musk and the rise of fascism around the globe.
Turner, a former Royal Engineer, crushed a Tesla electric vehicle bearing the license plate “FASCISM” in a bold protest organized by the activist group Led by Donkeys. The car, donated by a Tesla owner who said they were “appalled” by Musk’s embrace of far-right politics in Europe, was used in the dramatic stunt to symbolize resistance to rising authoritarianism.
Musk has become a vocal supporter of right-wing political movements and governments across at least 18 countries, aligning himself with efforts to restrict immigration and ease business regulations.
He’s publicly backed conservative street protests in countries like Brazil and Ireland, praised New Zealand’s new right-leaning prime minister, and voiced support for a nationalist politician in the Netherlands. Musk has also held multiple in-person meetings with far-right leaders in Argentina and Italy, signaling his growing influence in global conservative circles.
Turner said:
"I am 98 years old and I served in the British army in World War II, as did this Sherman tank."
“I’m old enough to have seen fascism the first time around; now it’s coming back. Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is using his immense power to support the far-right in Europe, and his money comes from Tesla cars. Well, I've got this message for Mr. Musk. We’ve crushed fascism before, and we’ll crush it again.”
You can watch what happened in the video below.
People loved it—and thanked Turner for his act of protest.
Turner’s protest also coincides with a rocky financial stretch for Tesla. Inside the company, a growing number of employees are voicing concern that by alienating customers and dragging the brand into partisan battles, Elon Musk’s increasingly political behavior is undermining Tesla’s core mission to accelerate the shift to electric transportation.
After a decade of steady growth, Tesla saw its first annual sales drop in 2024. The slide has only worsened in early 2025, with Q1 numbers showing a steep acceleration in the decline.
