A self-driving taxi of Waymo, Google’s self-driving company, has become a target of protesters in Los Angeles. Videos of LA protesters getting on board a robot taxi in Waymo and destroying and setting fire to a rider are spreading on social media X, highlighting the seriousness of the LA protests to the public.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle on the 10th, at least five Waymo robot taxis have been burned in LA since last Friday. Google, the parent company of Waymo or Waymo, which operates a robotaxi, has nothing to do with the anti-immigrant policy that the LA protesters are angry about. As Waymo Robotsaxi continued to be attacked by protesters in LA, Waymo took measures to allow Waymo’s robotaxi to bypass the protest area in LA.
Experts diagnosed that there are multiple reasons why LA protesters attack Waymo’s robotaxi. Analysts say that Waymo’s robotaxi is being attacked as a symbol of cooperation between President Trump and Silicon Valley’s big tech companies.
In this regard, Omar Wasow, a professor at the University of California (UC) Berkeley, explained, “The protesters are trying to attack the symbol of power.” It is explained that protesters feel like attacking President Trump by destroying self-driving cars of big tech companies that are actively cooperating with Trump’s policies.
Another reason why Waymo Robotaxi is being attacked is that it can attract public attention and is effective in burning vehicles to intensify protests.
Waymo’s robotaxi does not have a driver and can be easily found in downtown LA. There is a program to stop when an obstacle appears, so Waymo’s robotaxi is easy to set on fire. In addition, the lithium battery mounted on the robotaxi burns for a long time and has a very strong effect when it catches fire.
Professor William Riggs of the University of San Francisco pointed out, “Waymo’s robotaxi vehicle, which was damaged in LA, was intentionally used as a barrier to stop the police.”
Cameron Zieda, an autonomous vehicle mobility executive, expressed concern that “L.A. is experiencing a lot of reckless destruction that has nothing to do with symbolism.” Rob Wheeler, a professor at Stanford University, said that violence is not supported by the public in recent cases. However, he added that violent resistance to the dictatorship is an exception. The more protests against President Trump intensify, the more Waymo robotaxi could be destroyed and burned.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
