How To Occupy Tesla: Part 1

The following outline is meant to provide some basic thoughts for initiating a sit-in within a Tesla showroom or a full building occupation. These techniques come from a combination of research and personal experience and are by no means the only ways of doing these things. Suit them to your own circumstances, adapt them to your particular strengths, re-invent them based on your own experience.

The type of space where folks are intending to launch a sit-in or occupation is the foundation that will determine most everything else. Is it a clandestine occupation of an abandoned building in a neighborhood, to be used for meetings and organizing? Is it a commercial space in a bigger business district, and will it be used for large events and assemblies?

In our case, the space is a Tesla showroom. Their locations range from wealthier urban enclaves to rich suburbs. Some only have the showroom, while others have large repair shops and lots filled with cars.

Research the Tesla Location and Surrounding Area
Having a good understanding of the location will help you prepare.

• Where in relation to the showroom will the protest take place? Consider the following:
• Will it be farther away, off their “private property,” on the other side of the car lot?
• How can the protest locate itself directly outside the showroom and still maintain the necessary public visibility?
• Will it need people both outside the showroom and a group closer to the street?
• Depending on the location of the protest, how could police come between you and the showroom itself, potentially blocking off support for those inside?

For the showroom itself, consider the following:

• What are the surroundings like in terms of ideal protest location next to the building itself?
• Where are the entry and exit points? Knowing the entry and exit points ahead of time allows you to set up the protest in an ideal location in order to provide cover and proactive defense for those inside.
• What’s the surrounding neighborhood like? Would it make sense to canvass the area at least once to attract locals to attend, show support, or participate in the event? Fostering relationships is important.
• Are there safer and less safe roads for people to arrive and leave on? Where should people park? There are lots of factors that can impact the safety of a roadway being used to come to and leave a community event, think about things like speed of traffic, pedestrian intersections, dead ends, parking space, and enclosed alleys.

Getting Into the Space
Once you’ve figured out the layout of the Tesla location and its showroom, including entry and exit points, the next step is figuring out how to get enough people inside to launch a successful sit-down strike or occupation.

If the protest locates itself directly outside of the showroom,

• It makes it easier for a large number of participants to enter the building quickly. They can use the outside protest as cover.
• People can also make appointments with sales staff well beforehand under the pretense of going to the showroom to view a vehicle for possible purchase. At a designated time, people from outside enter and sit-down with those already inside.

How this happens also depends on if the sit-down strike or occupation is a secret known only to a few people, like a coordinating committee, or if the intention is known more widely beforehand.

• If this is something more widely promoted as part of the planned protest, it could force out into the open that movements were planning more substantial direct actions. This alone could provide additional pressure over and above a protest alone. In some cases, threat alone is sufficient.
• On the other hand, keeping the intention of the sit-down strike or occupation a secret outside of the core organizing group and those who’ve already committed would increase its chances of being successful. If it is widely promoted beforehand, no doubt police are going to try and position themselves in between the protest and the showroom.

Defending the Space
Depending on which course of action your group decides upon, one of the biggest factors to consider is how to defend it from police. Will the police try to pen the protest and move it farther away from the Tesla location? Will they attempt to attack with batons and/or chemical weapons to disperse the protest and get inside?

When you’re meeting to coordinate the action, figure out what experiences and/or skills people can offer for defense, materially and/or tactically. Maybe the coordinating group can select group leaders to coordinate different sections of the protest, each assigned to specific sides, like entry and exit points. The broader protest can reinforce these points, while balancing our forces throughout.

Preparations should include discussion of what materials would be useful. Protests usually include signs and banners, even whistles, horns, megaphones, speakers, and other loud noisemakers. What sorts of materials would be useful both for those inside as well as in support of those inside? If the police do invade violently, how can the protest counter their assaults?

Coordinating the Action
No matter which direction your group goes in, how will the protest, outside and in, be defended against possible police assault? How specifically will the protest be coordinated? Who will coordinate and how will that be structured, including how will decisions be made democratically and in such a way that it can empower a growing movement to collectively make democratic decisions together?

Talking through the action with others before the big day will no doubt help towards preparation. Additional questions will likely revolve around what to do about police presence. You probably want to set up several teams for the day of the action, coordinating with one another in order to keep the protest coordinated.

If there is a group also going inside, for example, they need to be able to effectively communicate with the protest coordinators outside. Each team can have a point person to coordinate day-of logistics together. Both inside and outside will have different, yet related roles to play.

One particular issue to address in relation to a sit-down strike or occupation revolves around whether or not it will be “open” or “closed,” possibly something in between or beyond.

• An open sit-down strike might leave all the entrances and exits open, while protesters outside do their best to protect against or at least delay possible police intrusion.
• Open occupations typically allow people to enter and leave the occupation, but usually only through a single entrance. All the other entrances are guarded and/or reinforced in preparation for the arrival of police.
• Closed occupations typically say from the start that “we aren’t leaving until you drag us out.” They barricade all windows and doors and have a stockpile of essential items inside that they brought with them.
• Most often, an open occupation will close to weather a police assault.