Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced Monday the restart of Tesla’s Alameda County, California, production plant.
The billionaire entrepreneur also promised to “be on the line” with his workers and used Twitter to ask police to only arrest him if an arrest is required.
Musk’s announcement comes after Alameda County Public Health Department interim health officer Erica Pan said Friday that Tesla does not have the okay to reopen.
“Tesla is restarting production today against Alameda County rules,” Musk tweeted Monday afternoon. “I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.”
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.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2020
After long criticizing coronavirus restrictions imposed on businesses in the state by local authorities as well as Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, even labeling them as “fascist” during a first-quarter Tesla earnings call last month, Musk promised to move production from California to Texas or Nevada. (RELATED: ‘F*ck Elon Musk’: Tesla CEO Says ‘Message Received’ After California Assemblywoman Curses Him Out)
On Saturday, the Tesla CEO criticized and promised to sue “unelected & ignorant” county health officials for refusing to give his plant the okay to restart production.
“Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately,” Musk wrote. “The unelected & ignorant ‘Interim Health Officer’ of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!”
Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately. The unelected & ignorant “Interim Health Officer” of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2020
Newsom’s stay-at-home orders in March forced non-essential businesses to close, prompting millions of Californians to file for unemployment. The Democrat’s administration is predicting that the state will hit 18% unemployment after registering a 3.9% unemployment rate at the start of 2020.