Tech backlash? Waymo cars became protest fodder in LA riots

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Tech backlash? Waymo cars became protest fodder in LA riots

Ana Zirojević 2025-06-09

Amid violent riots in Los Angeles, autonomous Google Waymo cars have been an unusual casualty, revealing a growing societal rift between big tech and the protesters using the vehicles as symbols of everything they’re dissatisfied about.

Indeed, videos shared online have depicted chaotic scenes of protesters running through smoke-filled streets packed with burning vehicles, including several Waymo self-driving cars, owned by Google’s autonomous vehicle division, according to a report from June 9.

As it happens, the protests have erupted in LA in response to Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducting raids in areas of the city with prominent Latino populations after President Donald Trump pledged to crack down on illegal immigration, especially in LA.

After the protesters gathered, Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard members to the area in an unusual move that typically state governors make, in this case California Governor Gavin Newsom who condemned the action as “illegal” and “putting fuel on this fire,” while also threatening to sue.

Waymo cars caught in the cross-fire

During violent confrontations between hundreds of protesters and the authorities, reports and videos have emerged of protesters throwing fireworks and stones, vehicles on fire, looting, as well as officers using tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber bullets.

Meanwhile, Waymo driverless cars have become an easy target for the protesters’ mounting anger and backlash against big tech, surveillance, and government overreach, at a time of high tensions relating to privacy, control, and state authority.

Elsewhere, Waymo last year entered a strategic partnership with top automaker Hyundai to widen the reach of autonomous driving technology and bring it to the all-electric IONIQ 5, while Nissan is testing its autonomous-drive vehicle on public roads ahead of the driverless service launch.

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Ana Zirojević Crypto journalist and market analyst with 7+ years of experience covering digital assets, blockchain technology, and data-driven market analysis.