Several Waymo Robotaxis and Lime E-Scooters caught fire this weekend in the midst of a misfortune in downtown Los Angeles prompted by groups protesting immigration attacks in the city by the Trump administration.
A group of protesters attacked five WayMo -Autonomous vehicles on Los -English Street early on Sunday evening, Los Angeles Times Reports. They hit tires, broke windows and spray-painted anti-ice messages. Three cars were on fire, and at one moment, “the besieged Waymos began to honor their horns in a coordinated cacophony,” the La Times wrote.
The Times reports that some lime-e-Scooters have also been thrown into Waymo’s burning shells of Jaguar I-Paces. The LAPD noted that igniting fire to lithium-ion batteries release toxic gases such as hydrogen fluoride, presenting a risk to neighbors.
It is unclear why protesters attacked Waymo vehicles. In the past, police have tapped Robotaxi companies for footage to help resolve crimes – In April, 404 media reported That the LAPD released video footage obtained from a Waymo driver car as part of a survey of a particular hit incident.
Waymo and Lime did not respond to requests for comment.
Since Waymo launched Its self-driving horse service in Los Angeles in November 2024, its cars were the goal of several acts of vandalism in the and other cities in which it operates. In July 2024, a resident of Bay Area was charged with vandalization of 17 WayMos in San Francisco for three days.
The protests in Los -English began on 6 June in response to a series of aggressive ice attacks across the city, leading to the arrest of more than 100 immigrants. A mix of peaceful and violent protests spread over the weekend to Paramount and Compton, and blocked major highways.
President Trump responded to federation the California National Guard, and deploying up to 300 soldiers to Los -English. State and city officials opposed this action, with California Governor Gavin Newsom formally requesting the removal of troops from the National Guard, saying the move was “A major breakdown of state sovereignty. ”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said over the weekend that he was ready to mobilize the Marines if violence continues.
Videos circulating online show LAPD personnel hitting anti-ice protestersand even some Ist journalistswith bats and rubber bullets.
