A Shocking Welcome: Tesla Owners Enter the Mardi Gras Maelstrom
Tesla Cybertruck owners, newly introduced as marshal vehicles in the Krewe of Orpheus Mardi Gras parade on March 3, 2025, in New Orleans, faced relentless and deeply disturbing attacks from spectators, exposing systemic failures by parade officials and NOPD. These Tesla owners, invited to escort Krewe of Orpheus marshals, endured unprovoked violence despite city ordinances prohibiting such actions since 1999. To gather their firsthand experiences, I added the participants to a dedicated chat group, providing raw, emotional insights for this article. I’m grateful to Josh ‘Pappy’ for clarifying the truck order, confirming @Chattybird0306 was also in Vehicle 5, ensuring accuracy for our story. The trauma echoes the city’s heightened security concerns following the devastating January 1, 2025, terrorist attack on Bourbon Street, where a truck was used as a weapon, killing 15 and injuring dozens—a tragedy many may not recall but which underscores the urgency of this incident.
Relentless Assault on Tesla Cybertruck Owners
Tesla Cybertruck owners faced relentless and heart-wrenching assaults during the Krewe of Orpheus Mardi Gras parade on March 3, 2025, far beyond mere bead-throwing, targeting invited participants in a new role. Since 2020, Tesla vehicles have served as marshal escorts for the Krewe of Orpheus, but 2025 marked the first use of Cybertrucks, a shift that may have fueled the hostility (CleanTechnica, February 20, 2020). Our hearts go out to CJP the Panda (@mrtimer2022) and his wife @CJPsWIFE, Tesla owners in Vehicle 2, who faced a chilling Nazi salute within the first minute at 6:38–6:39 PM, captured in screenshots from his video showing a man in yellow performing four repeated salutes directed at their Cybertruck.
CJP the Panda, his wife and the Marshall in their vehicle also endured passionate booing and raised fingers around 7:02–7:03 PM, as seen in a side pillar camera screenshot setting a tone of unhinged hate.
I Love Tesla, another Tesla Cybertruck owner in Vehicle 3, endured a harrowing 6:42–9:46 PM drive with his wife, calling it ‘the longest 3 hours of my life,’ with their flags broken, a beer can smashing their windshield at ~9:35 PM, and constant fear prompting their exit (chat group, March 5–6, 2025). Josh ‘Pappy’ and @Chattybird0306, Tesla owners in Vehicle 5, shared a gut-wrenching experience, with Josh reporting a video of a man in orange hitting his wife, Amanda, with beads at ~6:07 PM, shattering the B-pillar glass trim, berating passengers, and trying to break windows—yet failing to dent the truck, a testament to its durability that offered some solace amidst the terror.
Mr. Moonbound, a Tesla Cybertruck owner in Vehicle 4, faced ‘full body throws’ and window-bashing in front of House of Broel, suffering $7,000 in damage, including broken glass, leaving him shaken (X, @MrMoonBound, March 5–6, 2025). Winespring, another Tesla owner in Vehicle 4, described booing starting at 6:35 PM, escalating to ‘really bad’ by 7:40 PM, and captured a harrowing video of their Cybertruck under attack, with Marshal #4—a 10-year volunteer—begging over the radio, “WE ARE GETTING BEAT TO SH*T!!” and fearing a medical emergency if not removed.
Yet, she found fleeting kindness as kids gently added beads, offering a bittersweet contrast to the violence (chat group, March 5–6, 2025). The trauma these Tesla owners endured is unimaginable, and their resilience, alongside Marshal #4’s desperation, deserves our deepest empathy.
Timeline of Terror: From Tchoupitoulas to Gravier
The Tesla Cybertruck owners faced escalating violence along the Krewe of Orpheus Mardi Gras parade route on March 3, 2025, starting from Tchoupitoulas St and traversing Napoleon, St. Charles, and Gravier. Here’s a clear timeline of their harrowing experiences, highlighting their vulnerability as marshal vehicles newly introduced that year:
- 5:52 PM: Josh ‘Pappy’ and @Chattybird0306, Tesla owners in Vehicle 5, entered the parade route at Tchoupitoulas St, beginning their role as marshal escorts.
- 6:07 PM: Josh ‘Pappy’ and @Chattybird0306 faced a terrifying assault, with Josh’s video showing a man in orange attacking his wife, Amanda, with beads, shattering the B-pillar glass trim, berating passengers, and trying to break windows, prompting an early exit at Jackson (EVIDENCE: LINK TO X VIDEO ABOVE FROM @JEHAZEL75, MARCH 8, 2025; chat group, March 5, 2025).
- 6:35 PM: Winespring, a Tesla owner in Vehicle 4, reported attacks starting, with booing and initial hostility from spectators as they progressed along the route (chat group, March 5–6, 2025).
- 6:38 PM: CJP the Panda (@mrtimer2022) and his wife @CJPsWIFE, Tesla owners in Vehicle 2, entered at Tchoupitoulas St and immediately faced a chilling Nazi salute, captured in screenshots showing four repeated salutes by a man in yellow (EVIDENCE: SCREENSHOTS FROM CJP THE PANDA’S VIDEO, CHAT GROUP, MARCH 6, 2025)
- 6:39 PM: Winespring raised windows in Vehicle 4 due to escalating threats, marking the onset of severe hostility (chat group, March 5–6, 2025).
- 6:42 PM: I Love Tesla, a Tesla Cybertruck owner in Vehicle 3, began the route at Tchoupitoulas St with his wife, entering the parade as marshal escorts (chat group, March 5–6, 2025).
- 7:02–7:03 PM: CJP the Panda and @CJPsWIFE endured passionate booing and raised fingers, captured in a side pillar camera screenshot, approximately 23 minutes after the Nazi salute, further down the route (likely near St. Charles Ave) (EVIDENCE: SCREENSHOT FROM CJP THE PANDA’S SIDE PILLAR CAMERA, CHAT GROUP, MARCH 6, 2025; chat group/X, March 6, 2025).
- 7:09 PM: I Love Tesla entered St. Charles Ave, facing increasing threats as the parade progressed (chat group, March 5–6, 2025).
- 7:19 PM: I Love Tesla raised windows in Vehicle 3 due to escalating hostility, signaling heightened danger (chat group, March 5–6, 2025).
- 7:40 PM: Winespring reported attacks worsening in Vehicle 4, captured in her video of Marshal #4’s desperate radio pleas—“WE ARE GETTING BEAT TO SH*T!!” (chat group, March 5–6, 2025; EVIDENCE: LINK TO X VIDEO FROM @WINESPRINGCAFE, MARCH 8, 2025).
- 8:51–9:01 PM: Winespring pleaded to exit Vehicle 4, with Marshal #4’s urgent calls for help ignored by NOPD and Krewe officials (chat group, March 6, 2025).
- 8:52 PM: I Love Tesla requested police assistance in Vehicle 3, but received no support (chat group, March 5–6, 2025).
- 9:35 PM: I Love Tesla’s Cybertruck windshield was smashed by a beer can, intensifying their fear and prompting their exit (chat group, March 5–6, 2025).
- 9:39 PM: I Love Tesla exited Gravier St, stopping at Thalia St by 9:46 PM after a harrowing 6:42–9:46 PM drive (chat group, March 5–6, 2025).
- 9:45 PM: Winespring ended their route on the interstate, concluding a terrifying experience in Vehicle 4 (chat group, March 5–6, 2025).
- 9:56 PM: CJP the Panda and @CJPsWIFE exited via Calliope to I-10, ending their ordeal in Vehicle 2 after facing relentless hate from 6:38 PM (chat group/X, March 6, 2025).
This 5:52 PM–9:56 PM timeline maps the relentless violence these Tesla owners endured, underscoring their bravery and the systemic failures that left them vulnerable.
Public Hostility and Possible Motives
The hostility directed at these Tesla Cybertruck owners was fueled by anti-Musk sentiment and possibly broader political motives, including recent claims by Elon Musk on March 8, 2025, linking ActBlue-funded groups like Troublemakers, Disruption Project, Rise & Resist, Indivisible Project, and Democratic Socialists of America to Tesla protests, funded by figures like George Soros and Reid Hoffman Elon Musk’s claim on ActBlue. ActBlue, under investigation for illegal donations with seven senior officials resigning, may have indirectly influenced the parade’s hostility, though no direct evidence ties it to March 3, 2025, in New Orleans ActBlue turmoil. However, the groups Musk mentioned (e.g., Indivisible Project, DSA) have local chapters in New Orleans, and their activism could theoretically extend to parade protests, given their history of targeting Tesla Activists target Tesla. CJP the Panda (@mrtimer2022) and his wife @CJPsWIFE faced a Nazi salute at 6:38–6:39 PM, a chilling reminder of the hate these Tesla owners endured, and passionate booing with raised fingers around 7:02–7:03 PM further down the route (likely near St. Charles Ave; chat group/X, March 6, 2025). Winespring noted the crowd’s misconception—“they think Donald Trump is in our car”—and described ‘full body throws’ by 7:45 PM, captured in her earlier video of Marshal #4’s desperate pleas. Josh ‘Pappy’ and @Chattybird0306 reported the man in orange berating passengers with ‘unhinged hate and violence,’ with children encouraged to join, despite the parade’s ‘family friendly’ branding—a painful betrayal for these Tesla owners (chat group, March 5, 2025). A marshal in I Love Tesla’s Vehicle 3 admitted to ‘hiding a smile,’ suggesting ambivalence toward the Tesla owners’ plight (r/NewOrleans, u/jobles95, March 5, 2025). Reddit mocked them as outsiders aiming to ‘pwn the libs,’ reflecting political motives (r/NewOrleans, Othersideofbroad, March 5, 2025). X posts showed spectators pelting Cybertrucks, hinting at Antifa involvement, though unconfirmed (X, March 3–4, 2025). We feel profound empathy for these Tesla owners, who faced such unwarranted aggression simply for participating.
Police Inaction Amid Heightened Risk
Throwing objects at parade participants has been illegal since 1999, with a $250 fine per violation, yet NOPD failed to protect these Tesla Cybertruck owners during the Krewe of Orpheus Mardi Gras parade on March 3, 2025 (X, @3falling_PI, March 6, 2025). CJP the Panda (@mrtimer2022) reported ‘police did nothing,’ leaving him and his wife @CJPsWIFE vulnerable (chat group, March 5, 2025). I Love Tesla requested police help at 8:52 PM, but officers were ‘surprised’ at their 9:39 PM exit, offering no support (chat group, March 5–6, 2025). Josh ‘Pappy’ and @Chattybird0306 described ‘passive’ police despite urgent calls from 6:36–7:21 PM, during which Amanda was assaulted, with no intervention shown in Josh’s video (chat group, March 5, 2025). Winespring pleaded to exit at 8:51–9:01 PM, with Marshal #4’s desperate radio pleas—“WE ARE GETTING BEAT TO SH*T!!” and “WE’VE PUT OUT A CALL TO STATE POLICE!!”—ignored, as NOPD and Krewe officials left their Tesla Cybertruck under attack (chat group, March 6, 2025). An X post confirmed a parade officer standing idly by as violence unfolded (X, @WUTANGKIDS, March 4, 2025). Winespring, ‘traumatized,’ criticized the failure to protect even their 10-year volunteer marshal—a fellow Tesla owner’s ally (chat group, March 6, 2025). This inaction, following the January 1, 2025, Bourbon Street terrorist attack—where a truck killed 15 and injured dozens, a tragedy many may not recall—demands urgent investigation into why these Tesla Cybertruck owners were left so vulnerable.
Call for Change After the Cybertruck Carnage
The targeted violence against these Tesla Cybertruck owners—new marshal vehicles in the Krewe of Orpheus Mardi Gras parade on March 3, 2025—reveals a systemic failure by parade officials and NOPD to enforce ordinances and ensure safety. Winespring’s video of Marshal #4’s anguished pleas—“THEY ARE KILLING US OUT THERE!!!”—and Josh’s footage of Amanda’s assault, alongside CJP’s screenshots of four Nazi salutes at 6:38–6:39 PM and the booing incident around 7:02–7:03 PM, underscore the urgency of accountability (chat group, March 5–6, 2025). We extend our deepest empathy to Josh, Amanda, @Chattybird0306, CJP the Panda (@mrtimer2022) and his wife @CJPsWIFE, I Love Tesla and his wife, Winespring, Mr. Moonbound, and all affected Tesla owners, who bravely endured this trauma. They deserve justice and answers, especially in a city still reeling from the January 1, 2025, Bourbon Street attack. This incident calls for immediate accountability and reform.
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