New York (AFP)
Elon Musk, the fanciful boss of Tesla, described Wednesday as "fascist" the extension of containment to stem the spread of Covid-19, a disease caused by the new coronavirus.
"The extension of confinement (...) forcibly imprisons people at home, against their constitutional rights, this is my opinion. It is violating the freedoms of individuals in a horrible and unfair manner," he said. , asked about the financial impact of the health crisis on businesses during the conference call to analyze Tesla's quarterly results.
"It's scandalous! It's a scandal. It will do great harm (to companies), not just Tesla," he said.
Mr. Musk, known for his rowdy statements, later took advantage of a question on a possible major construction policy to drive the point home.
"Telling people that they cannot leave their homes and that they would be arrested if they did is fascist. It is not democratic. It is not freedom. Give people their damn good freedom ", he stormed in his traditional monotone tone.
Earlier, the leader, considered by many observers as a visionary, had added his voice to that of businessmen calling for the end of the confinement.
"Free America now!" He notably tweeted.
The anger of Elon Musk comes after the prolongation of the confinement in California and in particular in Fremont, city sheltering the American factory of Tesla close to San Francisco.
Tesla had reluctantly agreed to close it on March 19 and wanted to reopen it on May 4.
But faced with the decision of the health authorities, the manufacturer of electric vehicles does not know when the activity can resume.
© 2020 AFP