First, a man rams a skateboard into the passenger window of a white vehicle. He exits the frame, then returns and slams his drink container into the windshield. Bystanders can be seen cheering the people vandalizing the car, as others record on their phones. Soon the car is engulfed in flames.
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco crowd sets self-driving car on fire
Scenes of chaos from San Francisco’s Chinatown spread across social media Sunday after a mob vandalized and set fire to a Waymo self-driving car using a firework on Saturday evening. Waymo, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, has been offering Californians a 24/7 taxi service in driverless cars since last summer.
“Waymo Vehicle surrounded and then graffiti’d,” the San Francisco Fire Department said on social media hours later. “Windows were broken, and firework lit on fire inside the vehicle which ultimately caught the entire vehicle on fire.”
Photos uploaded by the fire department, which later reminded people that using fireworks is banned in San Francisco, showed the vehicle in flames and later its charred remains.
Waymo Vehicle surrounded and then graffiti’d, windows were broken, and firework lit on fire inside the vehicle which ultimately caught the entire vehicle on fire. #SFFD
Photos by Séraphine Hossenlopp pic.twitter.com/aOTqL3Rk8V— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) February 11, 2024
Police are investigating, and no arrests had been made as of Monday afternoon, San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Paulina Henderson told The Washington Post.
Officers responded to the fire at about 8:50 p.m. local time, the police statement said. When the officers arrived, the unoccupied car was “engulfed in flames,” according to the statement, which added that there were no reports of injuries.
Aaron Peskin, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, told NBC News that the incident was “terrible” and “extremely dangerous.”
“Buildings could have been lit on fire, people could have been hurt and most importantly, this was the day of the Chinese Lunar New Year,” Peskin said. “This is one of the most important days for families, there were thousands and thousands of tourists here, partaking in the events.”
A Waymo spokesperson told Reuters that the passenger-less car was moving along a street in Chinatown when people surrounded it. Later someone threw a firework inside, setting the fire, the company said.
“The vehicle was not transporting any riders and no injuries have been reported,” the company said.
Although cars without drivers have become a common sight on San Francisco’s winding and sloping streets, there are long-standing tensions between the city’s residents and the cars.
Still, rarely have driverless cars been set on fire.
A Waymo vehicle struck a cyclist last week in the Potrero Hill neighborhood, resulting in minor injuries, the Verge reported. The Waymo passenger was unhurt, and the cyclist left the scene on their own.
Driverless cars have caused major concerns in San Francisco by disrupting first responders on multiple occasions, including driving into scenes cordoned off by caution tape and striking a firetruck responding to an emergency, The Post previously reported.
Last year, a robotaxi operated by Cruise — a Waymo rival — rolled over a pedestrian and dragged her about 20 feet, after which the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended its operations. Days later, the company said it would suspend all driverless operations in the country to examine its process and earn back public trust.
In four videos uploaded by witness Michael Vandi, who heads Addy AI, an AI company, a man who is using his jacket to cover his face can be seen scribbling on the back of the car with what appears to be a sharpie. Others in the crowd appear unmasked. An unidentified voice encourages others to light the vehicle on fire.
The atmosphere directly outside Hua Long Trading, a shop selling cigarettes, snacks and other daily items on Jackson Street, appears charged.
Once the car is set on fire, however, people appear to back away from the vehicle. The Post could not access footage of the moment when the firecracker was thrown inside the car.
Vandi told Reuters in a direct message on X, formerly Twitter, that people were celebrating the Lunar New Year on Saturday evening by setting off fireworks. He said he saw a person jump onto the hood of the vehicle and break its windshield, and another later jumped onto the hood as the crowd clapped. Vandi could not be reached for comment Monday morning.
“That was when it went WILD,” he wrote. “There were 2 groups of people. Folks who encourage it – and others who were just shocked & started filming. No one stood up – i mean there wasn’t anything you could do to stand up to dozens of people.”
San Francisco, CA
Giants open to moving big names before Trade Deadline
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder to return following mental health leave
San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder will resume her duties next week after taking a three-month leave of absence due to mental health.
“I’m coming clear-eyed and grounded and eager to serve in this role again,” Fielder said in a video posted to social media Tuesday.
Fielder was first elected in 2024 to serve District 9, which includes the Mission District and Bernal Heights and Portola neighborhoods. In late March of this year, her staffers announced she was taking a leave of absence to address an “acute personal health crisis” after missing a few weeks of Board of Supervisors meetings.
“I left the work that I love so much, not because I wanted to, but because my mental health demanded it, and I say that with no shame,” she said.
In the video statement, Fielder mentioned that the pressure of serving as a supervisor took a toll on her mental health.
“I’ve often felt like the weight of this district and city is on my shoulders, and I, through this leave, have had the silver lining of understanding that it never has,” she said. “I was going 100 miles an hour since early 2023 when I started the campaign for supervisor, and being a grassroots candidate is a lot of elbow grease.”
Fielder’s staff continued some of the work in her district while she was gone. She thanked her colleagues and Mayor Daniel Lurie for their support and allowing her to be excused from meetings.
Fielder will return to work Monday and appear at the June 30 board meeting. She is also expected to host listening sessions in her district through July.
“I am an example that it is possible to come back and heal,” she said. “I could not be more honored to serve and more ready to serve.”
San Francisco, CA
Where to watch Athletics vs San Francisco Giants: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 23
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Tuesday as the Athletics visit the San Francisco Giants.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Athletics vs San Francisco Giants?
First pitch between the San Francisco Giants and Athletics is scheduled for 9:45 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, June 23.
How to watch Athletics vs San Francisco Giants on Tuesday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for June 23 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
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