Waymo suspends some Los Angeles service after cars torched in protests
Waymo has temporarily suspended its ride hailing service in downtown Los Angeles after several of the company's self-driving cars were set on fire in immigration raid protests over the weekend.
A Waymo spokesperson told Paste BN on Monday morning, June 9, the company has removed its vehicles from downtown Los Angeles and is currently not serving the area "out of an abundance of caution."
The spokesperson said the company is still operating in Los Angeles and is working in coordination with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Members of the National Guard arrived in Los Angeles on June 8 after President Donald Trump ordered troops to quell protests against immigration crackdown in the city, a move that the state's Democratic governor has called unlawful.
Footage shared on social media captured several Waymo driverless taxis engulfed in flames in the June 8 protests. Others were vandalized with messages against Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, videos show.
LAPD said around 9:15 p.m. EST that a portion of Los Angeles Street had been closed indefinitely after "multiple autonomous vehicles" had been set on fire.
Video: Waymo cars set on fire during LA protests
Photos: Waymo cars engulfed in flames
What are Waymo cars?
Waymo cars are self-driving taxis operated by computers instead of humans. The company uses electric Jaguar I-PACE cars.
According to Waymo, it completes more than 250,000 paid trips each week across four major U.S. cities: Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin. Waymo said it is planning to expand to Atlanta, Miami and Washington, D.C. in 2026.
The ride-hailing service is available through the Waymo One App, which allows customers to request a ride and indicate pick up and drop off locations.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet, launched service in Los Angeles in 2023 and operates 24/7 across 89 square miles of the city, according to its website.
Why are people protesting in Los Angeles?
People began protesting against immigration raids at several businesses in the downtown Los Angeles area on Friday, June 6.
By that evening, more than 100 people gathered at the city's immigration services building and detention center, according to Reuters. Police declared the protest an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse; shortly thereafter, at least 50 police officers in riot gear arrived.
Protests continued into the next day, leading Trump to sign a presidential memorandum ordering at least 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
Tensions escalated after the National Guard arrived in parts of Los Angeles on Sunday morning. Protesters continued to gather as the day wore on, and demonstrations eventually grew violent.
LAPD said on X that it had placed officers across the city on "tactical alert" and later declared an unlawful assembly in a portion of downtown. By 11 p.m. local time Sunday, police said "a number of people have been arrested."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said around 9:30 p.m. local time on June 8 that he "formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county."
Trump has referred to protesters as "troublemakers and insurrectionists" and commended the National Guard's efforts.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, Paste BN
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for Paste BN. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.