During Lunar New Year celebrations in San Francisco, a Waymo vehicle was violently targeted by protesters, who first destroyed it before setting it on fire with fireworks. Some see it as a revolt against AI and robo-taxis, but is that really the case?
On February 10, 2024, during the Chinese New Year parade, several people, apparently unorganized, targeted a stopped Waymo taxi, with no one inside. The vehicle ended up burning, although we don't know exactly why.
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A committed act… or a simple act of vandalism?
In the city of GAFA, such an episode was quickly interpreted as a sign of unease between residents and the tech giants.
An accident between a Waymo and a cyclist recently occupied local news, while the fate of Cruise, Waymo's competitor, is still on everyone's lips. Cruise is accused of having caused a fatal accident… then of having covered it up, so as not to hurt his image. Authorities revoked its license, leaving Waymo without competition in this transportation revolution.
At the end of the day on Saturday, February 10, a group of people violently attacked an empty Waymo vehicle which had just finished its trip. The windows were first smashed, before fireworks were thrown into the vehicle. Several anonymous videos show the violence of the event, which apparently did not cause any victims.
However, and contrary to what several international media have reported, no local source mentions the existence of a rebellion against autonomous vehicles. In the San Francisco Chronicles, we are mainly talking about vandalism. In a region known for rising crime rates (particularly in neighboring cities like Oakland), there is no evidence that Waymo was targeted for political reasons. The thugs were also able to target the vehicle since there was no one inside.
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In the videos shared by journalists and passers-by present on site, we see that the majority of the thugs are young and seem to be laughing at the situation. Yes, a Waymo vehicle did catch fire in San Francisco, but the city may not have come into conflict with its tech giants.