In a shocking display of aggression, a group of about 10 to 15 individuals demolished an unmanned Waymo self-driving car on the streets of Chinatown in San Francisco on Saturday night. The destructive incident involved the vehicle being graffitied, its windows busted, and a firework set off inside it that set the car ablaze, as reported by multiple media outlets. The San Francisco Fire Department responded to the scene on Jackson Street, and no injuries were reported from the ordeal.
Photos obtained from the scene by Séraphine Hossenlopp and posted on Hoodline, showed the extent of the damage to the autonomous vehicle. Lt. Mariano Elias of the San Francisco Fire Department confirmed the attack, which did not result in any bystander harm, or to the mob itself. Amidst the backdrop of the Lunar New Year celebrations, videos of the incident quickly circulated on social media, showing the vehicular vandalism unfolding in real-time.
Regarding the incident, Mayor London Breed condemned the arson in strong terms. "Later that night, in an isolated incident in the same area, a group of people burned and destroyed an autonomous vehicle. It was a dangerous and destructive act of vandalism," she stated according to a press release. Breed emphasized that such behavior does not define San Francisco, celebrating instead the city's cultural heritage and its status as a hub for emerging technologies.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Waymo explained that, "the group of people surrounded the car and started attacking it," as per a statement obtained by NBC Bay Area. The torched vehicle had previously been used as a prop for public safety videos made by the San Francisco Fire Department. Even as Forbes reported, the Waymo vehicle's sophisticated onboard cameras and LIDAR systems could have captured footage of the attackers, although it's unclear if this data survived the fire.
The San Francisco Police Department is now investigating the incident, with potential video evidence, including recordings from the assaulted vehicle itself, which may assist in identifying the perpetrators. With the festive mood tarnished by the events, the city authorities are calling for accountability and echoing the mayor’s sentiments that such acts of vandalism stand contrary to everything the city stands for.
