Important to keep on telling stories: Journalist after being shot at LA protest
An Australian journalist who was struck by a rubber bullet while covering immigration raid protests in Los Angeles, US, shared a message after the incident that stood out.Lauren Tomasi, Nine News' US correspondent, found herself in the middle of chaos outside the Metropolitan Detention Centre in downtown LA, where demonstrators had gathered to protest against US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Things took a sharp turn when the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and National Guard forces clashed with protesters.advertisementWhile reporting live from the scene, Tomasi described the mounting tension: 'After hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated,' she said. 'The LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters.' Seconds later, she was hit.
The footage showed an officer apparently aiming directly at Tomasi and her camera operator. The impact made her cry out in pain and reach for her calf. Despite the obvious injury, she stayed calm and assured those nearby, 'I'm good.'Later in a post on X, Tomasi addressed the incident and reassured viewers. 'Hey there. Thanks for all your messages – I'm a bit sore, but I'm okay. Important we keep on telling the stories that need to be told,' she wrote, along with the broadcast from that day.Take a look at the post here:advertisementIn a statement, Nine News backed their reporter and highlighted the importance of journalistic safety: 'Lauren Tomasi was struck by a rubber bullet. Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events.'Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that all journalists should be able to work safely and that the country supports media freedom.Several Australian lawmakers spoke out and called the shooting unacceptable. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to take up the issue with the US, insisting that the first thing he should say to President Trump at the upcoming G7 meeting is: 'Stop shooting at our journalists.'Nationals Senator Matt Canavan acknowledged the seriousness of the situation but urged for a full investigation. Greens Senator Nick McKim, meanwhile, demanded that the government express its displeasure 'at the highest possible level.'The Guardian also reported that this wasn't an isolated incident. A day earlier, British photojournalist Nick Stern was injured during a similar protest in the city.The LAPD had declared the protest site an 'unlawful assembly' zone and issued an advisory to the media to maintain a distance from active operations. Still, geolocation data confirmed Tomasi was shot near the ICE field office, one of the key flashpoints of the protest.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
42 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump military parade FAQs: RSVP, ticket prices, venue details, date and more
President Donald Trump will host a grand military parade on June 14, 2025, celebrating the US Army's 250th anniversary, coinciding with his 79th birthday. The event, featuring 6,600 soldiers, tanks, and flyovers, is open for locals to attend. Here are key details on the event: Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025 Parade Time: 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT A festival on the National Mall runs all day, with a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery in the morning, a fitness competition, an enlistment ceremony led by Trump, a Golden Knights parachute jump, a concert at the Ellipse, and fireworks at 9:45 PM will also be held. Read More: Trump stumbles on Air Force One steps, internet says 'Joe Biden vibes' The parade starts at the Pentagon's north parking lot in Arlington, Virginia, crosses the Arlington Memorial Bridge, and proceeds along Constitution Avenue NW from 23rd Street to 15th Street, covering 0.89 miles. Heavy vehicles join near the Lincoln Memorial to avoid bridge damage. Festival Location: National Mall, with equipment displays, military demonstrations, and musical performances. Tickets: The parade and festival are free and open to the public, with no tickets issued. However, notes an RSVP option for the 'Grand Military Parade and Celebration' via America250's event registration portal ( requiring full name, email, phone number, zip code, and state. Two people can register per phone number. RSVPs help organizers plan, but free tickets are limited. RSVP Link: Available at attendees are encouraged to RSVP early due to high demand. Livestream: The parade will be livestreamed on US Army social media platforms for those unable to attend. Read More: Trump says he would 'certainly invoke' Insurrection Act if needed amid Los Angeles protests The parade features 6,600–7,000 soldiers, 150 vehicles (including 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 28 Strykers, and four M109 Paladin howitzers), 50 aircraft (helicopters like Apaches, Black Hawks, and Chinooks), 34 horses, two mules, one dog, and historical reenactors in uniforms from the Revolutionary War to modern conflicts.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Harvard may get some of its funding back. But on one condition, says Education Secretary
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said on Tuesday that Harvard and other universities could get back some of the federal funding cut by the Trump administration if they changed their policies. 'It would be my goal that if colleges and universities are abiding by the laws of the United States and doing what we expect of them, that they can expect taxpayer funded programs,' the secretary said at a Bloomberg News event. McMahon said that the Trump administration was "making progress in some of the discussions" with Harvard, despite the ongoing legal battles. The secretary emphasised that the federal funding has a role to play in academic research at the universities. 'I think if we look at our research as for the public good, which I think is intended, then taxpayers are willing to see their tax dollars to support that kind of really good research. And so I'm sure that would continue at the university level,' she said. President Donald Trump has frozen more than $2.6 billion in federal research funding to Harvard and has moved to cancel its federal contracts. The Trump administration justified the actions as part of its effort to eliminate antisemitism on campus. Meanwhile, Harvard has also taken the fight to the court with two lawsuits against the Trump administration, challenging both the loss of federal funding and a decision by the Department of Homeland Security to revoke its license to enrol foreign students. The administration reportedly also asked the university to share its records about misconduct by international students on campus. However, it said that the college has not offered enough information to satisfy their requests. The Trump administration and Harvard have been at loggerheads, with the President repeatedly singling out the institution and taking aim at its perceived left-leaning and admission practices. Trump has proposed that Harvard's federal funding be moved to trade schools and called for its tax-exempt status to be removed. President Donald Trump recently said that the Massachusetts-based school was "starting to behave". Meanwhile, Harvard has rejected the administration's demands that it implement "viewpoint diversity" on campus in its hiring and admission practices. Columbia University has also lost about $400 million in federal funds and did not sign onto the "friend of the court" argument. Other private colleges, including Cornell University, Princeton University and Northwestern University, also have seen funding revoked in the Trump era.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Trump to Restore Names Honoring Confederates at Army Bases
President Donald Trump said he would restore the names of military bases renamed by his predecessor Joe Biden, undoing an effort to make the armed forces more inclusive and halt the commemoration of former Confederate officers. 'We are also going to be restoring the names to Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rucker, Fort Polk, Fort A.P. Hill and Fort Robert E. Lee,' Trump said Tuesday during a visit to Fort Bragg in North Carolina to celebrate the 250th birthday of the US Army. 'We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It's no time to change. And I'm superstitious, you know? I like to keep it going, right,' he added. Fort Bragg is also a military facility that has been renamed under Trump. The base was previously named to honor a Confederate general, Braxton Bragg, but its name was changed to Fort Liberty under former President Biden's administration, part of a broader effort to stop honoring individuals who took up arms against the US government during the Civil War. That effort to rename military bases came after a national reckoning on race spurred by the killing of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis at the hands of police. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth renamed the installation Fort Bragg in February, but in honor of a different Bragg, this time commemorating Roland L. Bragg, a World War II veteran who was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for bravery during the Battle of the Bulge. The fort had become a flashpoint for Trump and his supporters, who have been scrapping diversity, equity and inclusion practices within the federal government, and offers an example of how the new administration is moving to put its stamp on the armed forces and turn to the military to demonstrate his presidential powers and promote his agenda. Trump devoted a sizable portion of his remarks to criticizing his predecessor and offering justification for his decision to deploy US troops to Los Angeles in response to protests over his deportation policies, mobilizing 700 Marines and augmenting National Guard personnel already on the ground despite the objections of state and local leaders. 'What you're witnessing in California is a full blown assault on peace, on public order and a national sovereignty carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags with the aim of continuing a foreign invasion of our country. We're not going to let that happen,' Trump said. US law generally bars the use of the active-duty US military — the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines — from carrying out domestic law enforcement. The state of California is suing the administration, saying that Trump's deployment of the National Guard was unlawful. Earlier: US Deploys Marines to LA as Trump Standoff With Newsom Escalates Trump in his first term also sought to lean on the military as a show of force but was blocked by members of his Cabinet. This time, the president has stocked his team with loyalists less resistant to those efforts. Trump's visit to Fort Bragg is part of a week of festivities aimed at celebrating the Army, culminating in a large-scale military parade on Saturday in Washington, DC, that also coincides with his own 79th birthday. Saturday's military parade in Washington will be the showcase for the celebrations over the Army's birthday. The parade is expected to involve thousands of soldiers as well as 150 military vehicles and 50 aircraft, and the US Army estimates the festivities will cost between $25 million and $40 million. Trump on Monday defended the plans and the costs, claiming he and other donors would be personally covering many of the expenses and hailing it as an opportunity to 'celebrate our military.' The president told reporters at the White House there would be 'tanks all over the place' and that 'thousands and thousands of soldiers going to bravely march down the streets.' This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
