In middle of LA riots, Google Waymo cars set on fire and vandalised by protestors

In a shocking turn of events during ongoing protests in downtown Los Angeles (LA), California, several self-driving cars operated by Google’s Waymo were vandalised and set on fire on Sunday. According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, the unrest began as people gathered to protest immigration raids carried out under the Trump administration. What started as a peaceful demonstration quickly turned chaotic, with tensions rising between protestors and the police. The situation escalated further when a group of demonstrators targeted a line of self-driving Waymo vehicles parked on LA Street, smashing windows, slashing tyres, and eventually setting some of the electric taxis on fire.

The horrific incident, which took place in broad daylight, drew crowds and filled the streets with thick black smoke, as people looked on in shock. The scene became even more surreal as the burning vehicles began honking in unison while protesters shouted slogans and helicopters hovered overhead.

The protests were sparked by President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles, overriding objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom. This move, intended to control public demonstrations against the government’s immigration policies, only intensified public anger. Around 300 federal troops had reportedly arrived in the city by Sunday, a development that many saw as a direct threat to civil liberties. The deployment marked a rare instance of a president activating the National Guard without the state governor’s request, something not seen in decades.

The vandalism began around 5 PM on Sunday, when a group of protesters surrounded five Waymo taxis parked between Arcadia and Alameda Streets. It’s still unclear whether the cars were parked there coincidentally or deliberately summoned through the Waymo app by people with a plan to vandalise them. Some believe the attack may have been motivated by frustration against autonomous technology itself, possibly from individuals who feel that self-driving or driverless cars are taking away jobs or harming society in some way.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes with individuals smashing car windows with skateboards, spraying anti-ICE (Internal Combustion Engine — automobiles with engines that burn fuel to run, such as petrol or diesel) messages on the vehicles, and using makeshift flamethrowers to ignite the interior of the cars. Electric scooters were also thrown into the burning cars. Eventually, the LA Fire Department arrived to control the blaze, while police urged people to stay away due to the toxic fumes released by burning lithium-ion batteries.

Waymo, which only began operating in LA late last year, has quickly become a familiar presence on city roads. A company spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that they are in contact with local law enforcement following the attack. The company had previously been targeted in other cities as well, with similar incidents in San Francisco and Beverly Grove earlier this year.