On June 8, five Waymo autonomous vehicles were torched in downtown Los Angeles amid escalating protests over federal immigration raids ordered by President Donald Trump. The damage occurred as unrest intensified following high-profile ICE operations, prompting Waymo to suspend service in the affected areas.
The Alphabet-owned company confirmed that the vehicles were vandalized and could not be recovered during the protests. According to a spokesperson, Waymo worked closely with the Los Angeles Police Department before suspending operations in protest zones out of safety concerns.
The protests erupted after ICE agents carried out a high-visibility raid at a Home Depot, which set off citywide protests. By the weekend, what began as mostly peaceful demonstrations devolved into violent clashes near the Metropolitan Detention Center. National Guard troops were deployed Sunday after Trump signed an executive order authorizing 2,000 personnel to assist law enforcement—an action California Gov. Gavin Newsom called illegal. Newsom said the state would sue the federal government over what he called an unlawful federalization of the Guard.
This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted.
He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard.
The order he signed doesn’t just apply to CA.
It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing.
We’re suing him.pic.twitter.com/O3RAGlp2zo
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 9, 2025
According to the Los Angeles Times, witnesses reported protesters hurling Lime scooters into burning vehicles. The LAPD later warned that the fires involving lithium-ion batteries released hazardous gases such as hydrogen fluoride, posing health risks to first responders and bystanders.
In a separate incident, a Waymo vehicle in San Francisco’s Financial District was also vandalized with graffiti, though it’s unclear how many units were impacted. Despite these events, Waymo stated that it continues to operate in San Francisco but has paused service in areas where protests are likely to occur.
Waymo launched its robotaxi service across 80+ square miles of LA in 2024 and now operates a fleet of more than 1,500 vehicles across Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin.
