A Idaho man was arrested after allegedly hitting a counterprothester with his car during a protest at a Tesla concessionaire on Saturday, according to the Meridian Police Department.
Christopher Talbot, 70, allegedly made “an obscene gesture” to a 49 -year -old victim and hit him with his car, according to the police.
The incident occurred during a protest at a Tesla dealership in Franklin Road in the west of Idaho, where about 30 protesters met and around 200 counterprotestors.
Hundreds of protesters have also met at Tesla dealers in recent weeks, even in New York, Maryland and Arizona this weekend.
“The reports indicate that the victim had been driving a truck with Pro-Trump flags and had just parking and left his vehicle when Talbot hit him with his car,” the police said in a press release. “The victim went to a local hospital, where he was treated and discharged (with) injuries that do not threaten life.”
The police did not identify the victim, who said it was a counterprotester.
Talbot was arrested without incident and accused of aggravated battery on Saturday. He was admitted to Ada County prison. It is not clear at this time if Talbot has a lawyer.
“The Meridian Police Department reminds people who respect everyone’s right to protest and express their rights of the first amendment without resorting to violence,” said the police.
The incident is still under investigation, and the police are asking anyone with information to contact.
Tesla cars, concessionaires and cargo stations throughout the country have been attacked in dozens of acts of vandalism in recent weeks. The attacks occurred after Elon Musk joined the tumultuous second administration of President Donald Trump and began leading a radical effort to cut large stripes of the federal government.
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Musk blamed the “far left” for the vandalism that occurs in the concessionaires throughout the country, calling them “the true villains here.”
“And the president made it clear that we are going to go after them,” Musk said in the interview. “Those who provide money, those who push lies and propaganda, go after them.”
The protesters told NBC News that they were demonstrating against federal musk cuts.
“We have a crazy person who is blowing our democratic processes without grades, he was not chosen, he has no idea what he is doing,” said JF García on Saturday, a protester in the Meatpacking district of Manhattan. “I think your phrase is to move quickly and break things? That’s not how you provoke a positive change.”
