Tesla Robotaxi Rival Waymo Suspends Services In Downtown LA Following Vandalism During Anti-ICE Protests

Alphabet Inc.'s GOOGL GOOG autonomous taxi service, Waymo, is halting its services in Downtown Los Angeles following anti-ICE protests in areas of the city that led to Waymo Robotaxis being vandalized.

What Happened: Waymo doesn't believe the protestors were specifically targeting their vehicle, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

The company says that it won't be operating its services in the Downtown LA area following advice from law enforcement officials from the Los Angeles Police Department.

In light of the vandalism of the Waymo vehicles, LAPD released a statement on social media platform X: "Burning lithium-ion batteries release toxic gases, including hydrogen fluoride, posing risks to responders and those nearby," the police said in the post.

Why It Matters: The news comes as 5 Waymo autonomous taxis were burned down during the anti-ICE protests in downtown LA, comprising about 0.4% of Waymo's fleet and reportedly costing the company over $900,000. The visuals also prompted a response from Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk.

The protests, which were kicked off after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, carried out high-profile arrests of allegedly undocumented individuals in Los Angeles.

As protests intensified, President Donald Trump sent in the National Guard to control the situation, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to call the deployment unlawful and a "serious breach of state sovereignty."

Trump has also supported ICE acting director Tom Homan's idea of arresting Newsom, as the government sent in over 700 Marines in Los Angeles. "I would do it if I were Tom. I think it's great," Trump said.

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