What started as peaceful protesting took a disastrous turn in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday when demonstrators poured onto the 101 Freeway, leading to violent clashes with law enforcement, injuries, arrests, vandalism, fires and more.
Amongst the ongoing chaos, at least one KTLA van was seen being tagged with graffiti live on air.
With dark plumes of smoke still filling the air above downtown as of 6 p.m., at least five Waymos were seen either still engulfed by flames or charring after being set ablaze by protesters on North Los Angeles Street near Arcadia Street.
The destruction led the Los Angeles Police Department to indefinitely close Los Angeles Street north of Arcadia and south of Alameda streets and declare an unlawful assembly for the entire area, ordering crowds to disperse.
“Our partners with LAFD are attempting to enter the area to extinguish the fire,” LAPD’s Central Division said in an X post. “This is a historic area of DTLA, Olvera St.”
The department soon added that demonstrators were using chairs and garbage bins, among other items, to block the street.
“To our media partners, demonstrators and others who may enter the area,” LAPD noted, “Burning lithium-ion batteries release toxic gases, including hydrogen fluoride, posing risks to responders and those nearby.”
In addition, the cost of the Waymo destruction could be extremely high.
According to a 2024 report by the Wall Street Journal, analysts estimated Waymo’s driverless cars cost between $150,000 and $200,000 a piece.
With the five burning robotaxis, the cost of damages would amount to roughly between $750,000 to $1 million, based on WSJ’s estimate.
“We are in touch with law enforcement,” A Waymo spokesperson said in a statement. “A number of our Waymo vehicles are in the vicinity of active protests taking place in Downtown Los Angeles. We have no reason to believe that these protests are related to Waymo.”
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