LA protests: Waymo driverless car set on fire

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the incident:

🔥 What Happened

• During the third consecutive day of anti-ICE protests in downtown Los Angeles on June 8, a group of agitators vandalized and torched multiple Waymo self-driving cars—touring autonomously on LA Street near Arcadia and Alameda streets. Several had their tires slashed, windows smashed, were spray-painted with anti-ICE slogans, and at least three were set ablaze by around 5 p.m. local time youtube.com+5moneycontrol.com+5reddit.com+5moneycontrol.com+15latimes.com+15indiatoday.in+15.
• The destruction released thick smoke from burning lithium-ion batteries—a significant health hazard for bystanders and emergency responders en.wikipedia.org+2latimes.com+2nypost.com+2.

🧭 Context of the Protests

• The protests erupted in response to federal ICE raids across L.A. and escalated further after President Trump deployed National Guard troops under Title 10 authority—without California Governor Gavin Newsom’s request electrek.co+15theguardian.com+15wsj.com+15.
• Demonstrations included freeway occupations (notably the 101 Freeway), auto vandalism, and clashes with LAPD and federal forces; law enforcement deployed tear gas, rubber bullets, flash-bangs, and declared unlawful assemblies hindustantimes.com+8en.wikipedia.org+8apnews.com+8.

📱 Why Waymo?

• Waymo cars are seen by some protestors as symbols of Big Tech and government surveillance, making them targets amid broader outrage over federal intervention latimes.com+15moneycontrol.com+15thetimes.co.uk+15.
• Around 5 Waymo I-Pace vehicles—roughly 5 % of its LA fleet—were reportedly destroyed, though Waymo plans to replace them as its national fleet expands nypost.com+4electrek.co+4ktvu.com+4.

🚨 Fallout & Reactions

• The fires intensified concerns about environmental and health impacts—burning battery fumes are noxious and dangerous latimes.com.
• Waymo officials said they were coordinating with law enforcement, and LA Fire Department crews responded to extinguish the flames apnews.com+10latimes.com+10ktvu.com+10.
• The incident underscores tensions around autonomous vehicles in public spaces, adding to previous attacks like the 2024 fire in San Francisco’s Chinatown ktvu.com+10theguardian.com+10newsweek.com+10.

🗣️ What It Symbolizes

• The attack on Waymo cars foreshadows escalating civil unrest, targeting not just ICE or government entities but also corporate symbols representing systemic control.
• With National Guard troops and Marines in place, protests risk becoming more volatile—and the sight of burning self-driving vehicles amplifies broader societal concerns: tech surveillance, inequality, and militarized responses modernghana.com+13hindustantimes.com+13moneycontrol.com+13.

🔍 Summary