Resistance Rises Against Waymo’s Autonomous Vehicles in Latino Neighborhoods

As immigration operations targeting Latino neighborhoods ramped up in June, the sight of a torched and graffiti-clad Waymo vehicle in Downtown L.A. emerged as a symbol of local resistance. These autonomous vehicles bore the brunt of protesters’ anger, covered in spray-painted slogans like ‘ANIMO RAZA!!’ as well as less savory sentiments and set alight in the heart of the city between Alameda and Arcadia.

In the face of growing discontent, the burning Waymo self-driving car soon became an emblem of defiance against tech giants, artificial intelligence, and the ever-watchful eyes of law enforcement. For dissatisfied protestors and critics of capitalism, Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., represents the rising tide of automation ready to cast aside workers in pursuit of corporate gains.

Defacing autonomous vehicles, particularly when they are empty, may appear to be a crime without victims. No driver is in danger nor is their job at stake—only the deep-pocketed technology barons seem to bear the brunt of the damage. And these vehicles, devoid of human control, don’t have to answer for the consequences of their actions.

Summarily, a Waymo that disregards a stop sign or illegally halts in a red zone can’t be penalized. There’s simply no human behind the wheel to take responsibility for the misstep. Last year, an instance was reported of a LA resident trapped in a defective Waymo circling a parking lot continuously, elucidating the limits of this technology.

In April, news surfaced of a Waymo taking the wrong direction on a busy thoroughfare. In May, further concerns were raised when more than 1,200 of Waymo’s 1,500-strong robotaxi fleet were recalled to address multiple instances of collisions with gates and other obvious obstructions.

Fed-up locals in Santa Monica have even resorted to sabotaging disruptive Waymo vehicles to prevent access to the company’s local charging station. Tactics include using physical barriers such as cones and cars to block their path, or even using their bodies as human shields.

The broader legality of autonomous vehicles has sparked conversations amongst the public. This came to a head when a TikTok video showing a Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) officer stopping a Waymo carrying out an illegal left turn went viral. Sergeant Rodney Solorzano, one of the responding officers, clarified they would get in touch with a company representative to inform them of the incident, aiming to rectify any technical issues.

Despite the illegal maneuver, the Waymo vehicle was likely not charged with a moving traffic violation. California law today leaves a murky legal situation for robotaxis, as citations need to be issued to human drivers and autonomous vehicles fall outside this definition.

However, the legal landscape is set to shift on July 1, 2026, with the implementation of a new state law. The recently passed Assembly Bill 1777 will allow for issuing ‘autonomous vehicle noncompliance’ tickets to these driverless vehicles. The law will also mandate all autonomous vehicles to have a dedicated telephone line to facilitate communication with a remote operator in emergency situations.

Under current rules, driverless vehicles can be ticketed for parking offenses. However, in stark contrast, only 75 parking violations were handed out to Waymos throughout last year in Los Angeles.

The Department of Transportation recently concluded a 14-month-long inquiry into a series of traffic safety violations by Waymo vehicles, which involved 17 collisions amongst 22 total infractions. Despite the serious nature of these violations, the agency refrained from taking any punitive measures.

Public sentiment seems to be veering against AI-led developments in this space. The colloquial term ‘clanker’, borrowed from ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’, has emerged as a derogatory term for robots. Posts on social media identify everything from customer service chatbots to robots congesting public spaces as ‘clankers’.

Regrettably for those unfavorable to AI, no immediate relief from these tech intrusions appears to be on the horizon. Until legislative measures regulating this new technology evolve, autonomous vehicles operated by tech giants enjoy a privileged standing, effectively sidestepping traffic rules.

For the time being, Waymo and similar ‘clanker’ vehicles seem immune to penalties for traffic safety violations. All the while, everyday motorists and pedestrians must contend with these robots sharing their roadscape.