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The burned-out wrecks of 17 Tesla's litter the forecourt of a dealership in Rome
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after a fire took hold during the night from Sunday to Monday. Italian police were looking into possible arson
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as the electric vehicle maker's chief took to social media. It's just the latest in what's been a bumpy ride for Tesla in recent weeks
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with repeated demonstrations against the firm, or rather its boss Elon Musk and his appointed role in the US government
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This is not a red issue, this is not a blue issue. This is not a Trump versus everyone else issue
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This is an unelected group of billionaires, namely Elon Musk, coming into the government without anyone's consent
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The weekend saw the most widespread and coordinated protests to date across the United States labeled Tesla Takedown
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with an attempt to blockade every showroom and service center in the country
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We have to hit him where it hurts. This is 60% of his worth
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So he's already lost about 140 billion of his own personal wealth
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and we want to bring them down, so he pays a price for this intervention in government
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He has no mandate to do. With Washington's trade war against everyone it perceives to have wronged now approaching its third month
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anger hasn't just been limited to the US. Sales have dropped across the board
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with Europe showing a 49% fall in January and February compared to last year
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and auto associations in the US and China indicating a similar downwards trend
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Tesla is set to report its first quarter deliveries on Wednesday