Waymo’s LA Turmoil

Waymo’s LA Drama

Los Angeles isn’t a stranger to high-profile incidents, but the recent drumbeat of protests got a new chapter when Waymo’s robotaxis took an unexpected starring role. In a flurry of chaos and civil unrest, several Waymo vehicles were put out of commission—literally, they were torched and left as remnants of protest against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Troubles Begin

The public outcry was about ICE, but unfortunately for the self-driving cars, they found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. At least five Waymo vehicles were vandalized with anti-ICE messages, their windows smashed, tires slashed, and one turned into a bonfire using reportedly homemade flamethrowers. These acts brought out the National Guard and led to a dramatic pause in Waymo’s operations across LA.

Protest and Chaos

Scenes at Los Angeles Street were like something out of a movie script. As fires crackled in once state-of-the-art self-driving cars, the local police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly and shut down parts of the street. The danger of combusting an electric vehicle, with potentially toxic emissions like hydrogen fluoride from burning batteries, didn’t deter the fervor of the protests.

A History of Issues

This isn’t Waymo’s first rodeo with protest-induced vandalism. Just last year, a similar episode unfolded when another of their robotaxis was set ablaze. It’s clear that while these AI-powered vehicles might offer a glimpse into the future of urban transport, they are also becoming inadvertent targets in the socio-political issues of today.

Waymo’s Take

In response to these incidents, Waymo stated they don’t think the attacks were premeditated against their vehicles, emphasizing that the robotaxis were simply caught up in the unrest. While this aim to de-personalize the attacks might seem diplomatic, it hardly eases the sting of watching these cars, which symbolize technological progress, being dismantled in streets made infamous by their own past stories of rebellion.

Unexpected Spectacles

Adding to the weekend’s spectacle was a Tesla Cybertruck, captured circling an intersection with a large Mexican flag and anti-ICE graffiti embellishing its rugged panels. Whether it’s part of the growing trend of performance protests or simply another thread in this patchwork of chaos, events like these suggest vehicles, autonomous or not, are becoming canvases in the greater landscape of dissent.