For more than two hours, the honking never stopped.

Scores of protestors — one organizer estimated the total at more than 600 people — lined both sides of Reisterstown Road just southeast of the Owings Mills Tesla dealership on Saturday to decry the company’s billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, and his unprecedented role in the federal government.

Shouts of “No oligarchs! No fascists!” came from the crowd, a mix of older and younger adults — even some parents with their children — most carrying signs denouncing Musk and President Donald Trump.

“I am outraged and appalled by what’s happening to our country,” Alan Cohen of Baltimore said. “I never thought we could go basically toward fascism. ... I want to do everything I can to stop this country from becoming authoritarian.”

The protest was part of a “global day of action” to denounce Musk, just one of hundreds of protests planned worldwide. Other demonstrations were planned at Tesla dealerships in Silver Spring, Rockville and Washington, D.C. Peaceful protests have been happening in Owings Mills for weeks, event organizers said.

The demonstrations come after Musk morphed from the country’s richest person into one of its most powerful political figures almost overnight, a rise both celebrated and despised.

Musk, who is a “special government employee,” donated hundreds of millions of dollars to the campaign to elect Trump and has since led an opaque team known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, in a slash-and-burn sweep of federal agencies, including some that regulate his own companies.

Some Republicans have praised his work, saying it is saving taxpayer dollars by rooting out government waste. Democrats have largely decried his approach, saying it is destroying critical programs; some even blast it as part of a hostile, oligarchic takeover of the federal government.

Those cuts have been disproportionately felt in Maryland, which has enjoyed a steady stream of federal funds in recent years and where roughly 10% of the state works for a Washington agency, as federal employees lose jobs in droves.

The Baltimore Banner approached the Tesla dealership for comment after the demonstration and was directed to send an inquiry to the company’s corporate team via email, which it has done.

The protest movement, using the hashtag #TeslaTakedown, is urging people to get rid of their Cybertrucks and Model Y’s and sell Tesla stock as a swipe at Musk’s bottom line.

“This is his business. Making him lose business makes him lose money, and that’s all people like him care about,” said Amy Lee, a representative of the Free State Coalition, an event organizer.

Though Musk is the “villain that can bring us all together,” Lee said, demonstrators have been showing up for weeks in increasing numbers for myriad reasons.

“People are here because of Social Security, people are here because they lost their federal job, people are here because of national security, because they’re veterans and they’re mad, because their kids no longer have programs,” Lee said.

Dori Grasso of Cockeysville, a former federal worker, said she came to Saturday’s event because she is concerned about the direction of the country and lamenting the sweeping impacts of DOGE’s cuts.

“It angers me to see restrooms trashed in national parks because there’s no one there to clean them up,” Grasso said.

Caroline Burkhart, a Canton resident, said she and many others support trimming true government waste and making things run more efficiently. But she thinks cuts should be “precise” — done in a careful, studied manner.

“Musk is an unelected force governing us with no real authority,” said Burkhart, who was protesting Tesla for the first time. “There’s no regard for anyone, no kindness. Everything they do is cruel.”

Reisterstown Road can see more than 30,000 cars on the average day. For the more than two-hour demonstration, the car horns, many seemingly honking in support, never stopped.

A public bus used its horn. A fire truck and a construction vehicle did, too. Even some Tesla drivers honked and waved, though others mocked protesters or even gave them the middle finger.

“When I see that middle finger, I assume it’s them telling us we’re No. 1,” Tim Lattimer, a Columbia resident, said with a smirk.

The vibe, much like the honking, was lively and loud as organizers mixed a little joy into the outrage. There were pizza and donuts, live music and a dance party.

“What they want is for us to be in our homes, they want us to be alone, they want us to be scared ... and we refuse,” Lee said. “Community is how we will win, and that is the most important thing we can build.”

The signs showed the anger and outrage — and folks got creative. One showed Mr. Trash Wheel about to gobble up the word “MUSK.” Another played on Dr. Seuss with “the Rat in the Hat.” “Elon is the fraud + waste” and “First Lady Elon Trump is a punk” made appearances, too.

A leashed, four-legged friend trotted along the sidewalk with a smile, draped with cardboard that read “Good dog” on one side and “Bad DOGE” on the other.

There was even a man who, depending on whom you asked, was either a performance artist or an old guy with some free time and a fun idea, dressed as “Tesla stock,” stumbling down the line of demonstrators.

“I’ve got this red suit I barely ever get to use,” said the man, who would only identify himself as Peter. He said the crutches represented Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Meanwhile, people came and went from the dealership, some as if it were any Saturday, others filming or taking photos of demonstrators with their phones.

Baltimore County police were on-site and in contact with event organizers, though the demonstration remained peaceful — just as others have in weeks past, according to event organizers. They said a report of vandalism at the dealership weeks ago had no connection to their demonstrations and have repeatedly urged protestors not to take part in violence or vandalism.

On its website, Tesla Takedown says it is a peaceful protest movement that opposes violence and destruction of property.

Across the country, Tesla assets — including dealerships, chargers and even individual vehicles on the road — have been targeted with violent vandalism.

A woman allegedly threw Molotov cocktails on vehicles at a Colorado Tesla dealership. Cybertrucks in Seattle were set ablaze. Trump and his administration have labeled such acts domestic terrorism and vowed legal action.

The company is one of the leading manufacturers of electric vehicles around the world, and, by far, the maker of the most popular EVs on Maryland’s roads.

This story has been updated