Latest Waymo setback raises serious questions about its future
The destruction Waymo experienced this weekend could just be the beginning.
Even before this weekend's protest violence, the public sentiment concerning driverless ride-sharing vehicles has been tense.
On Sunday, June 8, in Los Angeles, several Waymo autonomous taxis were set ablaze during protests against ICE raids in the city.
According to the Los Angeles Times, protesters who had converged on downtown L.A. Sunday morning to protest the immigration enforcement raids ordered by President Donald Trump closed traffic for several hours.
Related: Tesla's robotaxi rollout is alarming the public, new report shows
As police officers pushed protesters back to clear the roadway, a group descended upon five Waymo taxis lined up on the street around 5 p.m. local time.
The vehicles' tires were slashed, the windows were smashed, and graffiti was sprayed across the cars.
Some protesters even threw Lim E-scooters into the shells of the burning vehicles.
By Monday morning, the Los Angeles police Department declared downtown L.A. to be an unlawful assembly area and ordered protesters to leave following a third day of protests.
While the images of the carnage are stunning, this isn't the first time Waymo vehicles have been targeted for vandalism. Waymo did not immediately respond to TheStreet's request for comment.
