UK group projects ‘Heil Tesla’ and Elon Musk’s hand gesture onto German factory

A British political campaign group has projected an image of Elon Musk making a hand gesture that some interpreted as a Nazi salute onto a German Tesla factory.

The projection on the side of a Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin, featuring the words “Heil Tesla” – with an image of the electric car firm’s billionaire owner making the gesture during a speech celebrating new US president Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Mr Musk’s speech at a rally on Monday saw him thank Mr Trump’s supporters before slapping his hand on his chest and extending his arm straight outward and upward with his palm facing downwards.

The projection was created by British political campaign group Led By Donkeys alongside activist group Centre for Political Beauty in Germany, who claim Mr Musk is using his wealth as Tesla owner to “degrade democracy”.

A video also beamed onto the Tesla building compiled various screenshots of Mr Musk’s tweets and videos, with a voiceover claiming the SpaceX owner supports far-right activists.

A spokesperson for Led By Donkeys told the PA news agency: “Musk is using his wealth from Tesla to back far-right parties and degrade democracy.

“He shouldn’t be surprised if people don’t fancy driving round in his cars for much longer.

“Increasingly it’s not a great look.”

Responding to claims the gesture was a Nazi salute, Mr Musk posted on the platform he owns, X – formerly Twitter, this week: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks.

“The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Sir Keir Starmer would not be happy were any of his ministers to make a Nazi salute, but he would not be drawn into saying whether he believed Mr Musk’s gesture was an example of it.

“It is clearly for the individual to defend his own actions,” the Prime Minister’s spokesman said.

“When it comes to the Government’s position on these issues, you have heard the Prime Minister speak passionately about his visit to Auschwitz and our plans ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day.”