BERNARDSVILLE – They stood in a narrow hallway outside the office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr.
Some held signs. “Deport (F)Elon Musk” read one.
A man from Clinton in Hunterdon County – Lee – said he hates Donald Trump with a passion and Kean — well, he’s just as bad.
Soon, the 50 or so people congregating in the hall were let in two and three at a time. Once inside they gave their views on Musk, on Trump, and the state of the country in general – both verbally and in writing, some said.
Kean, the CD-7 congressman, was not there. It was left to a handful of staffers to deal with the sudden appearance of protesters.
One staff member said there would be “no comment” for the press.
The pilgrimage to Kean’s district office was the culmination of a protest rally outside the borough train station organized by the state’s Working Families Party and other groups on the left. About 150 people showed up, a pretty good turnout on a very cold Tuesday afternoon.
The point was clearcut.
Trump and Elon Musk are destroying the federal government through unconstitutional means.
This will hurt average people and lead – maybe – to an authoritarian regime.
Republicans like Kean, who at times calls himself a moderate, are complicit by their silence.
“Kean is a coward, Kean is a coward,” was one of the first chants of the day,
And then … there was a brief interruption.
Two vehicles adorned with Trump flags drove in and through the train station parking lot beeping their horns. Then they drove through a second time.
A crowd briefly gathered around one of the vehicles, but then dispersed. The cars did not appear again.
One of the speakers was Amalia Duarte, the Morris County Democratic chair.
She said her parents moved here from the Dominican Republic to get away from a dictatorship. She said she would do all she can to prevent a dictatorship from developing in the United States.
After a while, the group left the train station and walked a short distance to Kean’s office on Claremont Road.
They stood outside and chanted. Among other things:
“Elon Musk has got to go
Hey hey, ho ho.”
Then, about 50 queued inside.
Two local police officers soon arrived. but left when they realized all was in order.
But then, a man presumably associated with the building’s management ordered the protesters to leave the hallway. They did not.
But the crowd did make sure they were not blocking access to any of the other offices in the building.
Today’s display in CD-7 gives credence to the idea that the district remains competitive.
Kean won the seat in 2020, beating incumbent Tom Malinowski, and won reelection last November against Sue Altman.
What fuels animosity toward Kean by political opponents is his penchant for avoiding unscripted dialogue with the press and public.
So far, however, that has been a winning strategy.
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Protesters gathered outside of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s office in Kean, New Jersey to rally against Elon Musk and his company, Tesla. The protesters were calling for greater accountability and transparency from Musk and his company, citing concerns about labor practices, environmental impact, and public safety.
One of the main issues that the protesters raised was the treatment of Tesla employees. They accused Musk of exploiting workers and creating unsafe working conditions in order to meet production goals. They also expressed concerns about reports of discrimination and harassment within the company.
In addition to labor issues, the protesters also voiced their opposition to Musk’s environmental record. They criticized Tesla for its reliance on fossil fuels in the production of its electric vehicles and raised questions about the sustainability of the company’s operations.
The protesters also highlighted Musk’s controversial statements and behavior on social media, including his tweets about the COVID-19 pandemic and his involvement in cryptocurrency markets. They called on Governor Murphy to hold Musk accountable for his actions and to ensure that Tesla operates in a responsible and ethical manner.
Despite the protesters’ demands, Governor Murphy has not publicly commented on the rally or on Musk’s activities in New Jersey. However, the demonstration served as a reminder that there are growing concerns about Musk and his influence, both in New Jersey and around the world. It remains to be seen whether these protests will lead to any concrete changes in how Tesla operates or if Musk will continue to face criticism for his actions.
