While the police had trouble with another day of troubles in downtown, several autonomous taxis of Waymo were burned, sending thick black smoke plugs that escape in the air.
The dramatic images were captured during an afternoon of clashes between large groups that protest against the immigration raids by the Trump administration and the Los Angeles police who were trying to maintain order.
The demonstrators converged the center of the Civic Center of the Center-Ville de la Dimanche Matter, spreading out on highway 101 around 3:30 p.m., the roadway was then closed to traffic for several hours while the California road patrol agents worked to repel the demonstrators, holding several in the process.
A group of demonstrators then went down to Five Waymo Taxis aligned on rue Los Angeles between the Arcadia and Alameda streets around 5 p.m.
The tires have been reduced, broken windows and anti-glossy messages painted in autonomous taxis, three of which were then burned.
A demonstrator takes place near a damaged Waymo vehicle on Los Angeles Street on Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters have invaded vehicles, tearing off the doors and trampling the windshields. A man with a mask on his face broke the car windows with a roller board. Another seemed to use a makeshift flame thrower to put inside a car on fire.
While the cars were consumed by flames, some people were seen throwing electric lemon scooters in the fire shells, while others were holding up from the ardent scene. At one point, the besieged waymos began to hide the horns in a coordinated cacophony, punctuated by the songs of the demonstrators and the whirlwind of the police helicopters above the head.
The Los Angeles fire service responded to the flames of vehicles while the Los Angeles police service warned people to stay away from the region and a bitter odor hung in the air.
“Burning lithium-ion batteries release toxic gases, including hydrogen fluoride, posing risks for stakeholders and those nearby,” the LAPD said in a press release.
A person uses a roller board to break the windows on a Waymo taxi during demonstrations on Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Waymo’s electric and autonomous taxis fleet has become a familiar show on the Los Angeles roads. A Waymo spokesperson told Times that the company was in contact with the police concerning the incident.
After its launch in San Francisco and Phoenix, Waymo began to serve Los Angeles in November. He attracted an initial waiting list of around 300,000 people before becoming available for all those who downloaded the service application, said a company spokesperson in January.
In January, Waymo had already led 1.9 million miles in Los Angeles. Despite their growing popularity, cars were frequent targets for vandals.
In January, a group vandalized one of the autonomous taxis in Beverly Grove. In February 2024, a waymo was Adjust the fire with fireworks In the Chinese district of San Francisco. In July, a resident from Castro Valley was accused of Vandalize 17 Waymos In San Francisco for three days, according to San Francisco Chronicle.
A Waymo Robotaxi vandalized was set on fire on rue Los Angeles.
(James Queally / Los Angeles Times)
