The Wolves and The Raging Grannies, two activist groups, assemble in the Stanford Shopping Center outside of the Tesla store. The protest was in response to the actions taken by the Trump administration this past year as well as billionaires abusing their powers, which the protestors collectively said has caused economic imbalance and the loss of civil rights.
There were a total of five people, some of the participating members shared their opinions on the federal government, which they believe is steering the country toward authoritarianism.
Matt Schlegel, one of the lead protestors at the event describes how consistent the protests have been throughout 2026.
“Yeah, so this has been going on weekly since about February,” Schlegel said, referring to how a protest has occurred once a week since the beginning of the year.
Ted Wallace, a Palo Alto resident and member of The Wolves, described feeling a sense of duty to speak out on the government and how changes in the system may be changing the original values of the US.
“I came out here after the election,” Wallace said. “The current government seems to be taking away the civil rights and the freedom of a country to function as a democracy.”
There is a growing concern that the goals of the government have shifted away from the needs of the citizens and instead towards corporate and military interests, Schlegel said.
According to the National Priorities Project, in 2021, Congress allotted a higher budget to the military than education, health, and transportation combined.
“The federal government… [continues] to take our country to wars and enrich weapons-makers and tech companies and create huge amounts of wealth inequality,” Wallace said.
The choice of the Tesla showroom as a backdrop to the protest was a pointed critique of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s previous ties to the administration Schlegel described.
A large emphasis of the protest was on addressing economic imbalance and how growing prices prevent certain people from accessing basic needs such as healthcare.
Matt Schlegel, one of the lead protestors at the event, voiced a direct solution to the economic issues.
“One of our big pushes right now is getting signatures for the (California) Billionaire Tax Act,” Schlegel said. “We’re gonna tax the 200 wealthiest people, 1% a year, it will generate $100 billion, and it will save our healthcare system.”
Schlegel says that by taxing the wealthy slightly more, enough money will be generated to help solve some of America’s crises starting in California, such as healthcare.
The protestors added a note of hope for governmental reform, despite the many disappointments listed.
“Hopefully [we see] a restoration of somewhat of a democratic society,” Wallace said. “We’re taking steps in the right direction by […] raising awareness.”