Multiple Alphabet Inc. GOOGL GOOG Waymo robotaxis were reportedly set on fire during Los Angeles' anti-ICE protests against the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration into the U.S., as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, carried out high-profile raids and reportedly detained several undocumented individuals.
What Happened: The protests turned violent following clashes with the police, with protesters allegedly vandalizing over five Waymo robotaxis, costing the company over $900,000, according to influencer Sawyer Merritt’s post on X on Sunday.
Following the reports, Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk also took to social media to express his views on the vandalism. "This is not ok," he said in a post on X with a picture of a protester standing on top of a damaged Waymo autonomous vehicle.
Why It Matters: The news comes in as California Governor Gavin Newsom called the Trump administration's decision to send in the National Guard "unlawful" following the use of tear gas by law enforcement.
The vandalism comes as Waymo recently announced it will be conducting tests in multiple U.S. cities, following the company’s achievement of the 10 million paid autonomous rides milestone, which doubles its lifetime total of 5 million rides in just five months.
The feud between Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly cooled down, with Musk deleting posts on X where he had criticized Trump and alleged that the president’s name was on the Epstein files.
Musk had slammed Trump as well as the U.S. Government following the president's Big Beautiful Bill, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would add trillions to the U.S. national debt.
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