PROTESTERS occupied a Tesla showroom in London today, demanding that the mega-rich be taxed out of existence to fund climate action.

Dozens of activists from Climate Resistance marched through Westfield shopping centre and dropped a banner reading “Abolish billionaires” above the showroom before staging the sit-in.

The action marked the launch of the Abolish Billionaires campaign, which calls for the imposition of a 100 per cent wealth tax on assets of more than £10 million to fund public services and efforts to reduce climate change.

According to research by Oxfam, the world’s richest 1 per cent emit as much carbon pollution as the poorest two-thirds of humanity. 

Protesters accused Tesla owner Elon Musk of accelerating the climate crisis through his high-carbon lifestyle and support for climate-change denier Donald Trump. 

They also highlighted the inhumane mining practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo that Tesla relies on for battery production and Mr Musk’s notorious anti-union stance.

The company remains the only major car producer in the United States that is not unionised and has consistently crushed workers’ attempts to organise. 

Climate Resistance spokesperson Sam Simons said: “The super-rich profit from poverty, torch the planet and rig the system in their favour — it’s time to tax them out of existence and use that wealth to fund climate action.

“As fires and floods devastate homes at a higher rate than ever, billionaires like Elon Musk keep fanning the flames of climate breakdown with their toxic investments and high-polluting lifestyles, all the while profiting from poverty. We must tax their billions to fund our futures.”

Security lined up in front of the showroom during the action and a video posted on social media showed a protester being carried away.