Why Were Google’s Self-Driving Taxis Targeted During Los Angeles Protests?
- Dario Deserranno
- il y a 5 jours
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This past weekend, images of burning robotaxis set social media ablaze. In the midst of protests in Los Angeles against Donald Trump’s immigration policies, at least six autonomous vehicles operated by Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car subsidiary, were vandalised and set on fire. The incident has reignited controversy over surveillance, public trust in AI-driven systems, and Big Tech’s relationship with law enforcement.
Waymo Vehicles Torched in the Chaos
On Sunday, demonstrators took to the streets of Los Angeles following immigration raids carried out by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in the city’s Fashion District. Protests escalated after Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard in L.A., a move California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed as unlawful.
Among the collateral damage: several Waymo autonomous taxis, which were tagged with graffiti, smashed, and burned. The company, which runs fleets of self-driving Jaguar I-PACEs in L.A. and San Francisco, has since suspended service in affected parts of Los Angeles and expanded the pause to certain neighbourhoods in San Francisco amid similar protest risks.
Waymo told CBS News the move was a “precautionary measure”, claiming that its vehicles were not deliberately targeted, but rather were caught up in the turmoil while making nearby deliveries. The company also noted that Lime scooters were also set on fire in the same areas.
But Were They Really Random Targets?
Not everyone buys the narrative that these self-driving cars were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. According to reports from the Los Angeles Times and other U.S. media outlets, Waymo vehicles have previously been the subject of public backlash, especially in San Francisco, where residents have protested their presence on safety and privacy grounds. What many protesters find troubling are the dozens of cameras and sensors mounted on each vehicle, tools meant for navigation that double as high-resolution surveillance equipment.
That concern isn’t theoretical. In April, 404 Media revealed that Los Angeles police used video footage from a Waymo car to investigate a hit-and-run case. In 2023, Bloomberg reported that law enforcement agencies increasingly rely on autonomous vehicle footage as evidence. This has sparked accusations that Waymo is complicit in “police surveillance”, a charge that some demonstrators cited directly as their motivation for torching the cars. According to social media posts from the scene, some protesters believed the vehicles were recording them and could compromise their anonymity.
A Symbolic Target
For some activists, Waymo's self-driving taxis represent more than just surveillance threats, they symbolise a broader critique of Big Tech’s entanglement with government power.
“These cars have no drivers, no humanity,” said San Francisco activist Elise Joshi, speaking to The New York Times.
“Destroying them is symbolic of the tech industry’s history of tearing apart our communities.” In some cases, the destruction was also a tactical move to block roads and disrupt transportation, a common but controversial protest strategy. The idea: halt traffic to demand attention.
Toxic Fallout: Not Just Metaphorical
While the targeting of robotaxis carries heavy symbolic weight, the real-world health risks are also serious. The burning of lithium-ion batteries inside the Waymo vehicles released toxic gases, prompting the Los Angeles Police Department to warn people to stay away from downtown due to the release of hydrogen fluoride, a hazardous substance that can cause throat burns and breathing problems.
The Bigger Picture
Sunday’s protests were largely peaceful, according to LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, but localized violence and arrestsoccurred. Businesses were looted, and tensions flared between police and demonstrators, raising deeper questions about how autonomous technologies intersect with civil liberties.
Waymo’s PR team continues to insist their vehicles were not directly targeted but the trend of vandalism and protest against robotaxis tells a different story. In a time of political unrest and rising skepticism toward tech companies, it appears that driverless cars are becoming more than just a symbol of innovation, they’re becoming lightning rods for public anger.
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