Robotaxi Attacked by Crowd, Graffitied, and Set on Fire in San Francisco

The self-driving car was destroyed by a mob in the San Francisco Chinatown during Lunar New Year celebrations Feb. 10.

A Waymo rider-only robotaxi was surrounded by a mob and destroyed during Lunar New Year celebrations in the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2024. Courtesy of Séraphine Hossenlopp

A self-driving car operating as a ride-share service was surrounded by a mob and destroyed in the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco a little before 9 p.m. Feb. 10 during Lunar New Year celebrations.

Videos posted on X show dozens of individuals surrounding the stopped car in front of 709 Jackson Street, with some using markers to graffiti the vehicle and another using a skateboard to break its windows.