A disturbing incident took place at a Costco parking lot in Guelph, Ontario over the weekend, as a man was caught on Sentry Mode drawing a swastika on the side of a Tesla Cybertruck. Footage of the incident, which took place on Sunday March 2, 2025, around 11:15 a.m., quickly went viral on social media. At the time of publication the video has been viewed more than 130,000 times, sparking outrage and renewed discussions about the rising trend of vandalism targeting Tesla owners.
Disturbing incident today, March 2nd 11am at the Costco in Guelph Ontario
— Drive Tesla (@DriveTeslaca) March 2, 2025
This guy used mud to draw a swastika on the side of a @Cybertruck.
Fortunately Sentry Mode caught him in the act. Internet, do your thing. pic.twitter.com/842HPJAheN
The Cybertruck owner has reported the incident to local police and are working to identify the suspect. Given the nature of the symbol used, questions have arisen about whether the act constitutes a hate crime under Canadian law.
Could This Be Classified as a Hate Crime?
According to the Government of Canada, hate crimes are defined as criminal offenses where a victim is targeted based on race, religion, ethnicity, or other protected characteristics. The swastika, historically associated with Nazi Germany, is widely recognized as a symbol of hate and antisemitism.
If authorities determine that the suspect deliberately used the symbol to intimidate or promote hatred, additional charges under hate crime laws could be pursued. However, if the act was simply an act of vandalism with no clear intent to target a specific group, it may not meet the legal threshold for a hate crime.
Rising Vandalism Against Tesla
This incident is part of a growing trend of vandalism directed at Tesla. As Musk has become more vocal in political discourse, Tesla has become a symbol and target for activists and critics alike.
In recent months, Tesla stores and vehicles worldwide have been defaced with graffiti and damaged by vandalism. While we have seen anti-Nazi graffiti at Tesla stores in Vancouver, this is the first known incident of someone drawing a swastika on a Tesla vehicle in Canada.
Vanadalism has also extended to Tesla Superchargers, with the company promising criminal charges against those putting graffiti on or damaging their charging infrastructure.
Protests against Tesla have grown in recent days, with one incident in New York seeing 9 people arrested after protestors stormed inside a showroom.
