Over the past weekend in downtown Los Angeles, riots broke out due to protests against immigration enforcement, with multiple Waymo self-driving cars being set on fire. As a result, the company has temporarily halted its autonomous ride-hailing service in downtown Los Angeles.
Waymo stated that the protests were unrelated to the company. Under the guidance of the Los Angeles Police Department, Waymo has withdrawn its vehicles from the downtown area and will not be offering services there.
A spokesperson for Waymo mentioned that the company is still operating in Los Angeles but has suspended services temporarily out of caution.
According to local news station KTLA, at least five Waymo vehicles were set on fire by Sunday night. This self-driving car service is owned by Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the windows of Waymo vehicles were smashed, tires were punctured, and slogans opposing immigration and ICE were sprayed on the vehicles. The Waymo spokesperson stated that the company does not believe the vehicles were intentionally targeted.
TechCrunch reported that Lime-operated electric scooters were also set on fire.
In a statement, Lime urged everyone not to misuse their vehicles for purposes other than their intended use for the safety of all involved.
The statement further mentioned that the company is closely monitoring the situation and will take necessary measures to ensure the safety of their team, vehicles, and the entire Los Angeles community.
Over the weekend, protests erupted in Los Angeles against recent ICE raids in the city. President Trump ordered the National Guard to deploy in Los Angeles on Sunday to handle the unrest. California Governor Newsom called the deployment of the National Guard “illegal.”
The Trump administration accused Newsom and other California officials of being too lenient towards demonstrators who were vandalizing property or setting cars on fire.
Newsom stated that California is filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration for deploying the National Guard, while the White House maintains that the President intervened at the appropriate time to restore law and order, with violent incidents escalating before his intervention.