A protester kicks a burning Waymo vehicle during an anti-ICE protest in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025. The protest erupted after a wave of federal immigration raids began on June 7, with National Guard troops deployed to the city despite objections from local officials. Demonstrators called for an end to deportations and the dismantling of ICE. (Photo by Benjamin Hanson / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by BENJAMIN HANSON/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Los Angeles, California – Several of Waymo’s autonomous vehicles were set on fire during protests in downtown Los Angeles over the weekend, prompting the Alphabet-owned company to suspend service in the area. At least two of the self-driving cars’ lithium-ion batteries exploded, while others were vandalized or torched in scenes of growing unrest tied to federal immigration raids.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, protesters intercepted and halted vehicles in the downtown core before igniting them. At least three Waymo cars burned for an extended period, some marked with spray paint and others broken into. The LAPD issued a warning that fires involving electric vehicles like Waymo’s can emit toxic gases due to their high-capacity battery systems.
“A number of Waymo vehicles are in the vicinity of active protests taking place in Downtown Los Angeles and are unable to be retrieved,” the company said in a statement. “We will not be serving any rides in the protest area until it is deemed safe.”
The company, which typically provides rides between Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, and downtown Los Angeles, had only recently expanded service. In April, Alphabet announced that Waymo was providing more than 250,000 paid rides each week in the Los Angeles area. The rapid growth signaled a major foothold in one of the most complex urban transportation markets in the country.
But that expansion has now collided with a broader moment of political volatility. For three consecutive days, demonstrators flooded Los Angeles streets to protest immigration raids carried out under the direction of President Donald Trump. Some of those protests, especially downtown, turned confrontational. In response, the president deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to cities across California, including Los Angeles, to guard federal buildings and restore order.
Waymo confirmed it is following guidance from the LAPD and has limited service to neighborhoods outside the protest zones. For now, that includes Santa Monica, Venice, and areas west and south of the Santa Monica Mountains.
