Over the past two months, a series of protests targeting Elon Musk has made headlines around the world. Known collectively as Tesla Takedown, the movement says it aims to stop Musk from overthrowing the government. “We are working to stop the coup,” Tesla Takedown’s page on an activism crowdfunding site says.

But from Tesla’s Takedown’s earliest days, the movement has exhibited an almost obsessive advocacy for Ukraine. Through endless Bluesky posts, protests timed to take place alongside pro-Ukraine demonstrations, the displaying of Ukrainian flags and signage at Tesla Takedown events, and messaging glorifying Zelensky, the anti-Musk movement has demonstrated an intense and persistent preoccupation with the Ukrainian cause. The question is why.

Tesla Takedown’s Ukraine focus was evident from its earliest days. One of the movement’s key organizers, and by far its most high profile spokesperson, is Alex Winter, the actor who played Ted in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” In an interview with Business Insider, Winter recounts launching the movement after seeing a February 8 Bluesky post by Joan Donovan — a sociologist who made disputed claims that she was forced out of Harvard, where she ran a misinformation research project — about joining an anti-Tesla protest. (Donovan had previously done a panel with Winter for a screening of his 2022 documentary, “The YouTube Effect,” which largely focuses on making the case that YouTube is to blame for much right-wing extremism.) With Donovan’s blessing, Winter set up TeslaTakedown.com, which was registered on February 12 and launched two days later.