Waymo Reduces U.S. Service Amid Rising ‘No Kings’ Demonstrations

Following the burning of multiple Waymo robotaxis during protests against the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles, the company is now scaling back its robotaxi services in several U.S. cities ahead of the “no kings” protests scheduled for Saturday, June 14.

As reported by Wired, this decision will affect operations in San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta, and Phoenix. Waymo, part of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, will also completely suspend services in Los Angeles after halting operations in the downtown area earlier this week. The duration of these service interruptions has not been specified by Waymo.

According to The Los Angeles Times, at least six Waymo vehicles were damaged over the past weekend, with at least three being set ablaze.

From a business standpoint, this response makes sense. Each Waymo robotaxi is believed to cost over $100,000. However, this isn’t the first encounter Waymo has had with civil unrest; in February 2024, a driverless Waymo car was burned in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and later, a man was charged for slashing the tires of 17 Waymo vehicles in the same city.

Waymo vehicles might be collateral damage amidst the protests, but there has been significant resistance to autonomous taxi services like Waymo in California, with community members and emergency responders expressing their concerns regarding safety and potential job losses.

Protesters may also be aware that robotaxi companies are following through with requests for data taken from their vehicles’ cameras. In April, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) shared footage from a Waymo camera related to a hit-and-run incident on social media, asking the public for assistance.

A new test for public acceptance of robotaxis will arise later this month as Tesla launches its own service in Austin. Tesla critic Dan O’Dowd is already conducting tests in Texas, claiming to have demonstrated a self-driving Tesla running a stop sign at a school bus stop and hitting child-sized mannequins, according to KXAN Austin. O’Dowd’s relationship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk is notably contentious.

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About Will McCurdy

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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