Waymo, the self-driving taxi arm of Google parent company Alphabet, has temporarily halted services in parts of Los Angeles after protestors set fire to some of its vehicles on Sunday. The closure mostly affects the downtown area, with services still running in other parts of the city.
Photos show the burning vehicles covered in anti-ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) graffiti. The protestors gathered over the weekend to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration raids in the city. While the protests were mostly peaceful, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), five electric Waymo vehicles were vandalized.
A Waymo spokesperson told Business Insider that the company does not believe its vehicles were targeted intentionally and that they are working with the LAPD. The police department warned the public on Sunday night on X to be careful in the vicinity of the vehicles, as “burning lithium-ion batteries release toxic gases ... posing risks to responders and those nearby.”
