Elon Musk has refused to follow lockdown orders and confirmed on Monday, May 11, that he will reopen his company’s car factory in Alameda County, California.
He also taunted the police to arrest him for breaching the orders. He took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to say, “Tesla is restarting production today against Alameda County rules. I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.”
The order has limited the operation of all businesses except important ones. Tesla challenged the order initially but was shut down on March 23rd. The organization reportedly called some of its workers back on the weekend and secretly made some hundred Model Y and Model 3 cars, two undisclosed workers revealed to The Verge.
The workers reported they were put in a tight spot when they were asked to report for work provided that their employer is in a dispute over reopening with local officials. One worker who had chosen to go to work said, “It’s either we feed our families or go hungry at this point.”
The other employee who chose to stay home shared, “I love my job personally, just tired of feeling like a chess piece,” the worker said. Workers also said they wouldn’t feel safe to assemble cars right now because it requires such close-up work. “We get lured in by the ‘Tesla Dream’ of saving the planet only to get treated so poorly that even though I love my job, I’m not willing to risk my health for him.”
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Fremont Police spokesperson said the organization was well aware of the situation but had not been directed to take any action. Speaking to the Daily News, Geneva Bosque’s spokeswoman said, “We enforce the order at the direction of the Health Officer. The Health Officer advised they were in communication and working with Tesla directly.”
On Monday afternoon, the health department issued a statement where they appeared able to start negotiating on a settlement without allegations of a criminal offense.