Smoke billows as a Waymo car burns in the street during protests in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025. Credit – David Pashaee—Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images
As protesters and police clash across Los Angeles and beyond, a striking image from the mayhem has been that of graffiti-strewn white cars engulfed in flames.
But these aren’t ordinary cars. They’ve got sensors protruding from the top and sides—and, critically, they’ve got no drivers.
Waymo, a robotaxi company, found itself at the center of the demonstrations against the Trump Administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids after a group of protesters over the weekend, according to the Los Angeles Times, approached a parked row of the autonomous vehicles and smashed their windows, slashed their tires, spray-painted them with anti-ICE slogans, and set them on fire.
A row of Waymo vehicles burn on a street in downtown Los Angeles on June 8, 2025.Benjamin Hanson—Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images
While eye-catching, the trend is also extremely dangerous. Electric vehicles, like those in Waymo’s fleet, have lithium-ion batteries, and in a post on X, the L.A. Police Department warned: “Burning lithium-ion batteries release toxic gases, including hydrogen fluoride, posing risks to responders and those nearby.” According to Scientific American, first responders exposed to the fumes of burnt lithium-ion batteries without protection historically “have developed throat burns and breathing difficulties upon arriving,” and, depending on the hydrogen fluoride levels, individuals can start coughing up blood within minutes of exposure.
At least six Waymo vehicles across the county have reportedly been the target of vandalism, resulting in the company temporarily suspending operations in the area “out of an abundance of caution.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have condemned the violence and destruction, which Newsom attributed to “insurgent groups” and “anarchists” who have infiltrated otherwise peaceful protests. President Donald Trump, who mobilized the National Guard to respond to the situation, has called the demonstrators “troublemakers” and “paid insurrectionists.”
Here’s what to know.
What is Waymo?
Waymo is a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and grew out of the Google Self-Driving Car project that began in 2009. It launched its robotaxi business in 2020 in limited markets, which grew to include Los Angeles in 2024.
While the company says its mission “is to be the world’s most trusted driver,” a national survey earlier this year found that “6 in 10 U.S. drivers still report being afraid to ride in a self-driving vehicle” while the proportion of people enthusiastic about the development of the technology has actually decreased from 18% in 2022 to 13% in 2025.
Waymo vehicles were involved in 696 accidents across the U.S. between 2021 and 2024, or about one accident every other day. MKP Law Group, a Los-Angeles based firm that represents clients involved in accidents, acknowledged in a blog post that this statistic “is not necessarily indicative of Waymo causing those accidents, as some may have been the fault of the other involved drivers.” Studies show that self-driving technology is likely safer than most human drivers.
Waymo has also reportedly annoyed some people, including those who find self-driving vehicles to be an eyesore as well as locals where the vehicles routinely get stuck. Neighbors near a Waymo charging station in Santa Monica have complained about noise pollution caused by the driverless vehicles honking at each other in the parking lot.
Waymo vehicles as well as other self-driving cars have previously been the target of vandals, particularly in California, where Waymo is headquartered.
In January, a Waymo car was torn apart in Los Angeles. In February 2024, another Waymo car was smashed and set ablaze in San Francisco. And in July 2024, a man was charged with slashing the tires of 17 Waymo cars in San Francisco.
A person spray-paints a Waymo car during anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025.Mario Tama—Getty Images
Why is Waymo being targeted in the L.A. protests?
Several potential explanations have emerged for why Waymo vehicles were targeted during the protests in Los Angeles.
The Wall Street Journal reported that part of the reason the cars were vandalized was to obstruct traffic—a traditional, albeit controversial, protest tactic.
Some social media users have suggested that self-driving vehicles in particular have become a new target because they are seen by protesters as “part of the police surveillance state.”
Waymo’s cars are equipped with cameras that provide a 360-degree view of their surroundings, a tool that has been tapped by law enforcement, according to reports.
Independent tech news site 404 Media reported in April that the Los Angeles Police Department obtained footage from a Waymo driverless car to use as part of an investigation into an unrelated hit-and-run.
And Bloomberg reported in 2023 that police have increasingly relied on self-driving cars and their cameras for video evidence. Chris Gilliard, a fellow at the Social Science Research Council, told Bloomberg that self-driving vehicles are “essentially surveillance cameras on wheels,” adding: “We’re supposed to be able to go about our business in our day-to-day lives without being surveilled unless we are suspected of a crime, and each little bit of this technology strips away that ability.” Waymo told Bloomberg at the time that it “carefully” reviews every request from police “to make sure it satisfies applicable laws and has a valid legal process.”
A protestor holds a sign in front of a burning Waymo vehicle during an anti-ICE protest in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025.Blake Fagan—AFP/Getty Images
Some activists have also suggested that the burning of Waymo vehicles should garner less sympathy from onlookers.
“There are people on here saying it’s violent and domestic terrorism to set a Waymo car on fire,” racial justice organizer Samuel Sinyangwe posted on X. “A robot car? Are you going to demand justice for the robot dogs next? But not the human beings repeatedly shot with rubber bullets in the street? What kind of politics is this?”
“There is no human element to Waymo,” climate and labor organizer Elise Joshi similarly posted on X. “It’s expensive and bought-out politicians are using it as an excuse to defund public transit. I pray on Waymo’s downfall.”
Contact us at letters@time.com.
