"FREE AMERICA NOW": Elon Musk is now protesting US lockdowns

• Elon Musk said in a series of tweets on Tuesday that lockdowns should be relaxed.
• "Give people their freedom back!" Musk tweeted alongside a Wall Street Journal analysis which questioned the effectiveness of lockdown orders.
• Musk's tweets come just a day after news broke that Tesla decided to cancel orders to make employees return to work.
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Tesla billionaire Elon Musk is protesting the various lockdowns in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the US.

Late on Tuesday, Musk tweeted a Wall Street Journal analysis which called into question how effective lockdown orders are for saving lives. "Give people their freedom back!" Musk tweeted in accompaniment next to the article link.

Give people their freedom back! https://t.co/iG8OYGaVZ0

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2020

 

 

The billionaire then hailed a news piece which said restaurants and retailers in Texas will be able to reopen this week under strict new guidelines. "Bravo Texas!" Musk said, and in a follow-up tweet added places should "reopen with care & appropriate protection, but don't put everyone under de facto house arrest."

Next Musk simply tweeted the words "FREE AMERICA NOW."

Musk's response to the coronavirus pandemic has been confusing mix. The billionaire has consistently downplayed the severity of the crisis, and tweeted misinformation including that children are "essentially immune" to the virus.

Musk also pledged to supply ventilators to hospitals and retool his Tesla factories to manufacture the machines.

Last week Tesla directed some of its employees to return to work on April 29, despite state instructions to keep staff to a minimum until May 4th. CNBC reported on Tuesday that Tesla had cancelled its plans to make employees return to work this week.

Musk's tweets also come after anti-lockdown protests took place across the US. President Trump showed sympathy for the protesters during a press conference last week, saying they are "good people" suffering from cabin fever. The advice from the administration remains however that states should lift lockdowns gradually.

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* This article was originally published here