
Waymo is routing cars away from S.F. ICE protests. How did the robotaxis become a protest symbol?
Lighting cars on fire has long been a tactic to escalate protests and capture the public's attention. But demonstrators opposing the immigration raids in Los Angeles have a new target: Waymo robotaxis.
At least five Waymos had been torched in Los Angeles as of Monday, each creating a dramatic, made-for-social media tableau. Photos that circulated online showed the jaunty electric Jaguars engulfed in flames and spattered with graffiti as demonstrators leapt atop their hoods.
In one particularly dramatic image, a masked protestor stands on a Waymo and raises a skateboard over his shoulder, as though preparing to smash it through the vehicle's windshield.
The vandalism reached a point that prompted Waymo to divert service from downtown Los Angeles and other areas where protests were anticipated, including parts of San Francisco, a company spokesperson told the Chronicle.
'People are looking to attack symbols of power,' said Omar Wasow, an assistant professor of political science at UC Berkeley.
Following a police officer's murder of George Floyd in 2020, people set fire to police cars in Seattle, Minneapolis and Philadelphia. Now, in an era when Big Tech is shaping society — and many Silicon Valley executives are aligning with President Donald Trump — resistance movements have a new target to direct their rage.
While Waymo cars are far removed from the immigration debate, they can serve as a kind of proxy for the world's most influential corporations: Waymo's parent company, Alphabet, owns Google. Anti-tech sentiment can easily translate into 'anti-Waymo sentiment,' Wasow said.
However, the messaging might not be that deep. Since they roam downtown streets without drivers and obediently stop whenever an object blocks their path, Waymos are fairly easy to set ablaze, Wasow noted. And the lithium batteries in the vehicles make them burn hotter and longer for maximum spectacle.
If the cars represent Silicon Valley's infiltration of public roads, they can also be hapless victims. Vandals who set fire to a Waymo driverless car in San Francisco's Chinatown neighborhood last year had no clear social crusade. Police later arrested a teenager for the crime.
'There's a lot of wanton destruction that's completely disconnected from any symbolism,' said Cameron Gieda, a mobility executive who specializes in autonomous vehicles.
Gieda, who lives in Los Angeles, heard the staccato chop of helicopters flying over his roof Monday. He said he's witnessed a lot of civil unrest in which protestors destroy cars — possibly, he reasoned, to create an obstruction for traffic or law enforcement.
Whether such acts are effective for making a statement has long been a point of contention among activists and academics.
Violence and property damage grabs headlines and accelerates media coverage, Wasow said. Yet it also skews that coverage.
'It tends to have the protest framed not around the core question of 'Is mass deportation a just policy? ''' Wasow said. Rather, he concluded, the conflict between protestors and police, or the incineration of autonomous vehicles, becomes the story.
But perhaps not in San Francisco, at least on Monday.
'We're temporarily adjusting our service,' the Waymo app stated, in response to a request for a car downtown, 'which may limit availability in some areas and increase wait times and routing. Thank you for your patience.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Anti-Israel ringleader Mahmoud Khalil posts $1 bond after federal judge rules Trump admin can't detain him
Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University anti-Israel ringleader, has posted bond after the Trump administration was temporarily blocked from deporting him amid their continued effort to hold him on "foreign policy" grounds. Khalil posted his $1 bond on Thursday afternoon. He has not been released. The government has until 9:30 a.m. on Friday to appeal the decision before Khalil must be released. The move came after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz sided with Khalil on Wednesday, writing: "The government cannot claim an interest in enforcing what appears to be an unconstitutional law." Federal Judge Sides With Anti-israel Ringleader Mahmoud Khalil, Halts Trump Administratino's Deportation Bid Anti-israel Ringleader Mahmoud Khalil's Free Speech Lawsuit Against Us Government Must Be Heard: Judge Read On The Fox News App The ruling was a significant legal setback for the administration's efforts to deport Khalil, who has been held at a detention facility in Louisiana following his involvement in anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University. The court's decision will remain on hold until Friday morning, giving the government time to appeal. Khalil, a green card holder, was arrested after leading student protests on the Ivy League campus. He has argued that his free speech rights were being "eroded" by the Trump administration. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attorneys have argued that Khalil's free speech claims were a "red herring," saying that the 30-year-old lied on his visa applications. Federal Judge Says Attempted Deportation Of Anti-israel Ringleader Mahmoud Khalil May Be Unconstitutional Khalil, they said, willfully failed to disclose his employment with the Syrian office in the British Embassy in Beirut when he applied for permanent U.S. residency. The agency also accused Khalil of failing to disclose his work with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and membership in Columbia University Apartheid Divest. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cited a provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to justify Khalil's removal from the U.S. The provision allows the Secretary of State to deport noncitizens if the secretary determines their presence in the U.S. "would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences." Rubio accused Khalil of participating in "antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which foster a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States." "Condoning antisemitic conduct and disruptive protests in the United States would severely undermine that significant foreign policy objective," Rubio wrote. Khalil has Algerian citizenship through his mother, but was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in article source: Anti-Israel ringleader Mahmoud Khalil posts $1 bond after federal judge rules Trump admin can't detain him
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
German activist hailed at Berlin airport after Israeli deportation
A German activist whose attempt to sail to Gaza was intercepted by Israel was welcomed home with loud cheers at Berlin airport on Thursday. Yasemin Acar was on board the Madleen alongside other prominent figures such as Greta Thunberg when it was diverted to Israel on Monday by military forces. She was deported back to Germany, where she was met by a dense crowd of people carrying Palestinian flags and scarves amid chants of "Freedom for Palestine" and "Freedom for Yasemin." In a press conference at the airport, Acar accused Israel of kidnapping the crew members of the Madleen in international waters. "We will not stop," Acar said. "We will come back until we stop the siege." Acar is known to the police for her public appearances and anti-Israel slogans. The reception at the airport was chaotic as people crowded around the activist, with one man lifting her onto his shoulder. Police estimated that at least 100 people were there. The activist group had set sail from Sicily in early June, seeking to bring humanitarian aid such as baby food and medical supplies to civilians in the Gaza Strip, while drawing international attention to the critical humanitarian situation.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Indy shows how protests 'can (and should be) done' during NBA Finals, police union president says
An anti-ICE protest that drew hundreds merged with an NBA Finals game that pulled thousands to downtown Indianapolis, all while millions were watching a city pushed into the national spotlight as the Pacers took on the Oklahoma City Thunder. And the whole thing went off without serious issue. While basketball fans lined up to file into Gainbridge Fieldhouse about 7 p.m. June 11, people chanted outside the arena to protest federal deportations, first staging at the corner of East Georgia and South Pennsylvania streets before marching a few blocks, occasionally blocking traffic. "Last night showed (protests) can be done safely and without violence," cheered Indiana police union leader Rick Snyder in a statement to media. He vowed police "will always protect the Rights of Americans to peaceably assemble and petition their Government for redress of grievances." The Indianapolis demonstration remained nonviolent, in contrast to anti-immigrant protests in Los Angeles, where a city-wide curfew was implemented after days of clashes between law enforcement and agitators. Just before 7 p.m. June 11, about a dozen protesters handed out flyers and signs to passersby. The crowd grew as the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's officer presence also increased. A speaker pointed toward basketball fans during anti-deportation speeches, prompting at least two people to yell "Go Pacers!" and a short chant of "USA." Indianapolis police were seen carrying pepper ball guns, less-than-lethal weapons that shoot balls designed to burst on impact and release pepper powder. None were fired. In a speech, one organizer told protesters not to antagonize law enforcement. An organizer said the crowd was a thousand people at its peak, while Indianapolis police put the count at about 500 based on drone footage and crowd density. Indianapolis police urged protesters toward the sidewalk as the group marched downtown. At one point, law enforcement moved crowds so an ambulance could pass. Marching ended on East Georgia Street around 8:30 p.m. "IMPD, KKK, IOF, it's all the same!' the crowd chanted, referring to the Ku Klux Klan and Israeli Occupation Forces. "I prefer crushed ICE," read one sign referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who facilitate deportations. Snyder said he applauded law enforcement agencies and Indianapolis residents for showing how peaceful assembly "can (and should) be done." Hours before the protest, images and rumors circulated online indicating ICE raids may have occurred near 42nd Street and Richelieu Road in Lawrence. On June 11, IndyStar reporters spoke with neighbors in the area who confirmed law enforcement activity. The owner of a self-serve laundry in the area also said they caught video of law enforcement in the area. A since-deleted social media post shared around 7:30 a.m. depicted several photos of men wearing vests that said "Police ICE." Lawrence Police Department said it was not aware of or involved in any ICE arrests in the city, and ICE officials did not respond to IndyStar questions about it at the time of publication. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis protest shows how they 'can (and should be) done,' FOP says