Videos show Waymo cars on fire amid LA protests; service reportedly suspended
Photos and videos show several Waymo self-driving cars being torched in immigration raid protests in downtown Los Angeles over the weekend.
Members of the National Guard arrived in Los Angeles on June 8 after President Donald Trump ordered troops to quell protests against immigration crackdown in the city, a move that the state's Democratic governor has called unlawful.
Footage shared on social media captured several of Waymo's driverless taxis engulfed in flames in the June 8 protests. Others were vandalized with messages against Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, videos show.
The Los Angeles Police Department said around 9:15 p.m. EST that a portion of Los Angeles Street had been closed indefinitely after "multiple autonomous vehicles" had been set on fire.
Live updates: Gov. Newsom blames Trump for unruly LA protests
Waymo reportedly suspended service in downtown Los Angeles after several cars were set on fire, according to NBC News.
A Waymo spokesperson told the outlet that the company "will not be serving any rides in the protest area until it is deemed safe."
USA TODAY has reached out to Waymo for comment.
Waymo cars are self-driving taxis operated by computers instead of humans. The company uses electric Jaguar I-PACE cars.
According to Waymo, it completes more than 250,000 paid trips each week across four major U.S. cities: Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin. Waymo said it is planning to expand to Atlanta, Miami and Washington, D.C. in 2026.
The ride-hailing service is available through the Waymo One App, which allows customers to request a ride and indicate pick up and drop off locations.
Is Waymo safe? Seeking solitude and safety, riders flock to robotaxis driven by computers
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet, launched service in Los Angeles in 2023 and operates 24/7 across 89 square miles of the city, according to its website.
People began protesting against immigration raids at several businesses in the downtown Los Angeles area on Friday, June 6.
By that evening, more than 100 people gathered at the city's immigration services building and detention center, according to Reuters. Police declared the protest an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse; shortly thereafter, at least 50 police officers in riot gear arrived.
Protests continued into the next day, leading Trump to sign a presidential memorandum ordering at least 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
Timeline: LA protests went from small to substantial over three days. Here's what unfolded.
Tensions escalated after the National Guard arrived in parts of Los Angeles on Sunday morning. Protestors continued to gather as the day wore on, and demonstrations eventually grew violent.
LAPD said on X that it had placed officers across the city on "tactical alert" and later declared an unlawful assembly in a portion of downtown. By 11 p.m. local time Sunday, police said "a number of people have been arrested."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said around 9:30 p.m. local time on June 8 that he "formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county."
Trump has referred to protestors as "troublemakers and insurrectionists" and commended the National Guard's efforts.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Waymo cars set on fire in LA protests; service reportedly suspended
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What is a Waymo car?
( — Waymo vehicles have been in headlines over the last few days after anti-immigration enforcement protestors set some of them on fire in Los Angeles. But what are they? A Waymo car is a fully autonomous, self-driving vehicle operated by the company Waymo, a Google subsidiary. It operates on a rideshare service application called Waymo One, which offers on-demand, self-driving transportation in select cities, according to How does ICE know who to deport? Waymo began in 2009 in San Francisco as an experiment and went on in 2016 to become a fully-operational robotaxi service in some major cities. 'The Waymo Driver is the embodiment of fully autonomous technology that is always in control from pickup to destination,' the company said on its website. 'Passengers don't even need to know how to drive. They can sit in the back seat, relax, and enjoy the ride with the Waymo Driver getting them to their destination safely.' Waymo cars are currently available in Phoenix, AZ, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, TX, according to its website. They are reportedly coming soon to Atlanta, GA, and Miami, FL. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sending money to family in foreign countries may be taxed more
Jun. 9—Families hoping to send money to loved ones in other countries may be hit with additional fees from a tax and spending bill proposed by the Trump administration that would slap a 3.5% tax on remittances sent by anyone who is not a U.S. citizen. The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" passed through the House in May and is now being debated by the Senate. The budget bill has several proposed tax changes, which include taxing money sent from an estimated 40 million non-US citizens — including green card holders, temporary workers and undocumented immigrants — to family and friends in other countries. The bill had a 5% tax but was reduced to 3.5%. The bill is another way the Trump administration is hoping to dissuade immigrants, both documented and undocumented, from coming into the country and moving money out of the U.S. economy. Republicans believe the bill would increase the average take-home pay of U.S. citizens, while Democrats believe the bill and increased taxes are "a transfer of wealth from the working class to the rich," said Daniel Garcia, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of New Mexico. What is a remittance? Remittances refer to sending money from one person to another and is typically done between family members from one country to another. A person living and working in the U.S. would send money to family members typically living in a developing country, where this money is a source of income that contributes to the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Payments are typically sent using an electronic payment service or a money transfer app. Banks, credit unions and money transfer services charge a fee for processing remittances, and fees average 10%, according to the International Monetary Fund. Cryptocurrency exchanges are not as heavily regulated and can be a way to avoid additional taxes and surcharges. "Taxing remittances would amount to a form of double taxation, since migrants already pay taxes in the country where they work," Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Mexican Ambassador, wrote in a statement. "Imposing a tax on these transfers would disproportionately affect those with the least, without accounting for their ability to pay," Barragán added. However, some believe the 3.5% tax fee would give financial support to public services and is the most "pro-worker, pro-family and pro-American legislation we've seen in decades," said Amy Barela, chairwoman of the Republican Party of New Mexico. "Let's be clear, this measure is not about targeting individuals," she wrote in a statement to the Journal. "It's about ensuring the 3.5% fee, although modest, would also have a very meaningful impact in helping offset costs associated with public services, border security, and community infrastructure — relieving some of the financial pressure on hardworking New Mexicans who continue to bear the burden of an imbalanced system." Crucial source of revenue Mexico is the second-largest receiver of personally wired money behind India, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In 2024, Latin America received $160.9 billion, with the U.S. accounting for 96.6% of all remittances to Mexico. They also make up 20-30% of GDP in countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras. "Remittance is a very important source of revenue in our government," said Patricia Pinzón, consul of Mexico. "This would affect Mexican families and the economy in general, but I would say the basic needs of Mexican families is the most worrying thing." However, "whatever happens in one economy will affect the other," said Pinzón. "Our economies are so interrelated that everything that happens here has a consequence in Mexico," she said. "Mexicans will not stop sending money; they'll just look for alternative ways to send it." Mexican migrant workers sent 16.7% of their labor income back to their families, and more than 80% of the income remains in the U.S. economy. The average amount of remittance sent to Mexico is roughly $350 every one to two months, which "could seem like nothing for the U.S., but it's money that a whole family lives on and covers their basics in Mexico," Pinzón said.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Saying 'I do' in New Mexico will now cost twice as much as marriage license fee increases
Formalizing a marriage these days is often not the difficult part; walk in and the paperwork is there waiting for you. But in New Mexico, it's about to become more than twice as expensive. For the first time in decades, the cost of a marriage license in New Mexico will increase, jumping from $25 to $55, effective June 20, following the passage of bipartisan legislation during the 2025 legislative session updating the fee structure. While the price is more than doubling, New Mexico's fee remains lower than in Texas or Arizona, where the cost can exceed $80. Some states charge as much as $115. According to a news release from the Santa Fe County Clerk's Office, the fee change supports long-term recordkeeping, child welfare programs and local services across the state. Santa Fe County is one of New Mexico's most popular wedding destinations. 'Most people only think about their marriage license once — on their wedding day,' Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark said in a statement. 'But it's a legal document that can be needed decades later to access benefits, prove identity or navigate end-of-life paperwork. We want to ensure your record will be securely stored, easy to find, and legally valid when you need it." Senate Bill 290, signed by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham this year, was sponsored by Sen. Linda Trujillo, D-Santa Fe. It increases marriage license fees and changes how they are distributed. The changes will result in increased funds for counties, according to a Legislative Finance Committee fiscal impact report for the bill. With the updated fee, the fund is expected to gain an estimated $32,500 annually to expand prevention programs and family support services statewide. Beginning June 20, according to the County Clerk's Office, the $55 marriage license fee will be distributed as follows: * $20 to county clerk's offices * $20 to the Children's Trust Fund, which supports community-based programs to prevent child abuse and neglect * $15 to the county general fund The Children's Trust Fund, administered by the Children, Youth and Families Department, previously relied mostly on specialty license plate revenue, the release from the clerk's office said. The higher fees could give pennywise couples an excuse to hold off on the nuptials; however, the Legislative Finance Committee analysis noted even with New Mexico's comparatively low license fees, the state's marriage rate has been skidding for the last decade. "In 2022, New Mexico had the lowest marriage rate in the country at 4.2 per 1,000 people," the report said. "Nevada, Utah, and Colorado were among the highest at 25.9, 9.9, and 7.5 per 1,000, respectively."
