Fact check: What was the total property damage in dollars from recent June 2025 Los Angeles protests?

1. Summary of the results

While extensive property damage occurred during the June 2025 Los Angeles protests, none of the direct sources provide a specific total dollar amount for protest-related damage. The damage included:

• Vandalism of multiple businesses including Theatre Jewelry Center, T-Mobile, El Pollo, and Bargain Line 2 perfume store ^[1]
• Destruction of five WAYMO self-driving vehicles ^[2]
• Ransacking of major retail stores including Apple and Adidas ^[3]
• Damage to government buildings including City Hall, LAPD Metropolitan Detention Center, and a Federal Building ^{[4] [2]}
• Vandalism of cultural institutions including the Chinese American Museum and Italian American Museum ^[2]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are missing from the original question:

• The protests were specifically anti-ICE demonstrations ^[5], providing crucial political context
• The damage occurred primarily in downtown Los Angeles neighborhoods ^[6]
• The protests involved organized groups, as evidenced by "masked rioters" coordinating attacks on stores ^[3]
• The damage coincided with a period of severe wildfires, which caused significantly larger economic losses:
• UCLA Anderson Forecast estimates $95-164 billion in wildfire damage ^[7]
• AccuWeather estimates $250-275 billion in total economic impact ^[8]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself contains potential biases:

• It focuses solely on property damage, potentially overlooking the underlying social and political causes of the protests
• By asking only about monetary damage, it may minimize other impacts such as:
• Social disruption
• Political consequences
• Impact on autonomous vehicle deployment (given the targeting of Waymo vehicles)
• Different stakeholders might benefit from various damage estimates:
• Insurance companies might prefer lower estimates to minimize payouts
• Protest opponents might prefer higher estimates to discredit the movement
• Business owners might prefer higher estimates to secure more assistance
• Government officials might prefer lower estimates to maintain public confidence