Los Angeles has been under the pump for the last three days as anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests broke last Friday due to the detention of some people. As per the latest report, the give Waymo self-driving cars were vadalised and set on fire. Due to the unrest for the last three days, U.S. President Donald Trump has deployed National Guard to protect federal immigration officials. This marks the first time since 1965 that a president has activated the National Guard without a request or approval from a state.
Waymo caught in the crossfire
According to reports, there were over 6,000 protests in the streets of Los Angeles. With the police struggling to control the anti-immigration protests, video revealed that protestors roadblocked the 101 Freeway bringing the traffic to a halt.
Demonstrators took matters into their own hands as they ran riot in Arcadia and Alameda streets where they vandalized five Waymos by smashing the windows, slashing the tyres and spray painting anti-ICE messages before setting the vehicles on fire. The destruction of the five Waymo cars is worth $600,000.
Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company under Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent firm. A pioneer in self-driving systems, Waymo develops advanced software and hardware to enable vehicles to operate without human input. It offers ride-hailing services through Waymo One and has helped shape the future of mobility with its innovations in the autonomous vehicle (AV) space.
California Governor says Trump has manufactured the crisis
California Governor Gavin Newsom has come out criticizing U.S. President Trump saying he’s responsible for manufacturing this crisis. The governor took to social media and posted, “If he (Trump) can’t solve it, we will.” Newsom also said that calling for the National Guard is an ‘illegal, an immoral act and an unconstitutional act and we will test that theory with a lawsuit tomorrow’. He further said there was no coordination with the state.
