In the early morning hours, ten Greenpeace activists from Czechia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria and Poland climbed onto the roof of the Tesla showroom building near Prague and unfurled a banner reading “Our world is not your toy #TimeToResist.“ Other protesters placed a three-meter-tall caricature of billionaire Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump in front of the building, depicting them together setting the world on fire. At the same time, activists replaced the company’s flags with ones featuring images of Trump and Musk with the slogan “Stop the billionaire takeover.”
Today’s event is part of global campaign called Time to Resist, carried out by different organisations from Greenpeace network across various countries. The campaign is a response to the way billionaires and fossil fuel corporations are openly attacking not only the environment but also civil society. Specifically, U.S. President Donald Trump and his billionaire allies present threat to NGOs, the media, scientists, and environmental defenders, as they deny or downplay the current climate crisis in public discourse and on social media.
The public fallout that has now erupted between Trump and Musk is, according to Greenpeace Czech Republic, the culmination of the chaos that both billionaires have caused not only in the United States but around the world. And although Musk has now distanced himself from the Trump administration, he claims on social media, among other things, that Trump would never have become president without his support.
“The current statements and public quarrels between the two billionaires show that they treat democracy, the planet, and people like their toys. While Musk and Trump are arguing on the social media, we are saying it clearly: Our world is not your toy. We will resist this unacceptable tactics and we won’t be silenced by pressure from fossil fuel corporations like Energy Transfer or by the power of billionaires. In the past, millions of people around the world have come together to stand up to those who threaten the environment and free speech. And we can do it again,” says Miriam Macurová, campaign lead for Time to Resist in the Czech Republic.
Among those physically present at the protest was well-known Czech actress Antonie Formanová, granddaughter of Oscar-winning Czech-American director Miloš Forman. „I’ve always believed that the freedom to speak your mind is fundamental – in creativity, and above all, in life. The idea that people are starting to feel afraid, even in places where this used to be normal, terrifies me. That’s why I don’t want to just wait and stay silent – I want to act and be heard, so that this doesn’t affect us too. That’s also why I’ve decided to support Greenpeace Czech Republic in their bold efforts to make sure important voices are not silenced“ Formanová said.
Right now, Greenpeace entities in the US and Greenpeace International are facing a so-called SLAPP lawsuit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) from fossil fuel company Energy Transfer. Its chairman, Kelcy Warren, is yet another billionaire supporter of Donald Trump. The company’s lawyers have managed to convince a local jury in North Dakota that Greenpeace in the USA and Greenpeace International organized protests by Indigenous communities against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), thereby allegedly causing financial damage to Energy Transfer. Greenpeace organisations have rejected Energy Transfer’s absurd claims that they orchestrated the Indigenous-led global Standing Rock movement – because it simply isn’t true. Standing Rock was an Indigenous-led resistance to protect the right to clean water. Greenpeace International is putting a new anti-SLAPP lawsuit to the test as it fights back in a Dutch court. First hearing in the case, starting on July 2, is not just about the organization itself — it’s also a crucial moment for the right to protest and freedom of expression.
According to Greenpeace Czech Republic, the growing influence of billionaires and major polluters is visible in the Czech Republic as well. They own media outlets and push for policies that endanger both environmental protection and democracy. Moreover, many Czech politicians and billionaires admire Trump and his pro-billionaire, pro-polluter administration, and seek to replicate his efforts to silence critics after the parliamentary elections. That is why, according to Greenpeace Czech Republic, it is crucial to show now that the public in this country rejects such practices—and will resist them.
People in the Czech Republic can now join this global movement resisting billionaires, fossil fuel companies, and their political enablers by signing Greenpeace’s Time to Resist handraiser.
