British photographer hit by non-lethal bullets during LA protests
A British news photographer has undergone emergency surgery after being hit by non-lethal rounds during protests in Los Angeles.
Nick Stern was documenting a stand-off between anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) protesters and police outside a Home Depot in Paramount, a city in LA county and a location known as a hiring spot for day labourers, when a 14mm 'sponge bullet' tore into his thigh.
He told the PA news agency: 'My initial concern was, were they firing live rounds?
'Some of the protesters came and helped me, and they ended up carrying me, and I noticed that there was blood pouring down my leg.'
He was treated by a medic who urged him to go to hospital. At one point, Mr Stern says he passed out from the pain.
He is now recovering at Long Beach Memorial Medical Centre following emergency surgery.
Mr Stern, who emigrated to the US in 2007, said he typically makes himself 'as visible as possible' while working in hostile situations.
'That way you're less likely to get hit because they know you're media,' he said.
It is the second incident of its kind for Mr Stern, who said he sustained 'substantial' bruising after being hit by another live round during the George Floyd protests in 2020.
'The communities in LA are very tight and very close-knit,' Mr Stern said.
'So an outside organisation like Ice coming in and removing – whatever you want to call it, removing, kidnapping, abducting people from the community – is not going to go down well at all.'
It comes after US President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to California to quell the protests, which began on Friday in downtown LA before spreading.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the move was 'essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States'.
The decision drew sharp criticism from Democratic politicians, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the move 'purposefully inflammatory'.
Demonstrators have been protesting the Trump administration's immigration raids, which last month aimed to detain as many as 3,000 people per day.
Despite his injury, Mr Stern says he is eager to return to work.
'I intend, as soon as I am well enough, to get back out there,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
ICE slammed for overspending amid ‘egregious' funding mismanagement in House report
A 168-page House report has slammed the Department of Homeland Security for 'egregious' funding mismanagement. The House Appropriations Committee released its report on Wednesday for the Homeland Security funding bill, conveying complaints regarding departmental policies. The report also included guidance on how it would like the funding for the 2026 fiscal year to be spent. One of the concerns included Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spending more money than it had received. Lawmakers from both the Democrats and the Republicans have made such complaints amid the Trump administration's ratcheting up of deportations. This comes as the White House waits for Congress to pass a spending package, which may include billions of dollars in funding for immigration enforcement. 'Actions already taken in fiscal year 2025 are especially egregious —ICE began spending more than its appropriated level shortly after the fiscal year commenced and operations now far exceed available resources,' the report states. Fiscal year 2025 began in October. 'While the Committee recognizes the dynamic environment in which ICE must function, neither ICE nor the Department should rely on other components to fund the deficits that ICE itself often creates,' it adds. 'Not only does that presuppose that other missions within DHS are less important, but it also sets the precedent that the Department can shift funding away from congressional priorities within other components to compensate for ICE's budgetary mismanagement.' The report states that such mismanagement is 'unacceptable' and calls on ICE to update the committee on a monthly basis, 'to ensure appropriate congressional oversight.' The Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee chair, Republican Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada, told ICE Director Todd Lyon during a recent hearing that the agency was at risk of violating the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits federal agencies from incurring expenses before Congress has approved the spending. 'I would appreciate it if you, for your part, would let folks know up your chain of command that this information, if it's not coming in real time, is not useful,' Amodei told Lyons, according to Politico. He added that they 'have to keep in mind things like the Antideficiency Act … and I'll just be honest with you, speaking for me, I don't know that I have the information that I need to make sure that we're doing our job in the context of that.' The report also states that there are concerns about the TSA, FEMA policy, cybersecurity, as well as the Coast Guard, in addition to the other agencies operated by DHS. The full committee will mark up the bill on Thursday; however, Republican leadership in the House hasn't announced any floor action as of yet on any of the bills handling fiscal year 2026. Bipartisan funding negotiations haven't started with less than four months until the start of the next fiscal year. Additionally, the White House has yet to send a full budget request. Two-thirds of federal law enforcement spending is taken up by immigration and border issues for the 2025 fiscal year, the Cato Institute noted. That includes roughly $19 billion for CBP, $10 billion for ICE, $3.2 billion for DHS general offices, and $281 million for USCIS. ICE spending has increased significantly since its creation in 2003. Recently, its budget has gone from $8.4 billion in 2023 to $9.6 billion in 2024, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Homeland Security Appropriations Bill for 2026 currently includes proposed funding for ICE of $11 billion, about $960 million more than this year. While congressional Republicans have shared concerns about the Trump administration spending too much on deportations, the White House is so far pushing ahead anyway, according to Politico. The administration is pushing legislators to pass the 'big, beautiful bill,' which would add billions of dollars for border security. The Big Beautiful Bill Act would direct $168 billion to immigration and border security, according to the Congressional Budget Office, compared to $34 billion in fiscal year 2025. This comes as Trump aide Stephen Miller is pushing for at least 3,000 arrests of illegal immigrants a day. Lyons noted earlier this month that ICE is currently averaging about 1,600. An administration official told Politico earlier this month: 'It's not just the Democrats saying they'll throw a wrench in this. It's the Republicans, too, questioning why we're spending beyond our means.'
NBC News
18 minutes ago
- NBC News
Some Los Angeles officials fear Marines' 'rules of force'
WASHINGTON — President Trump's deployment of thousands of troops to Los Angeles to quell protests, including 700 active-duty Marines, is fueling concern that the Marines have not been properly trained for interacting with civilians, including children, during potentially tense law enforcement operations. One of the duties of the Marines and National Guard troops will be to provide security for ICE personnel as they conduct immigration raids in the Los Angeles area, according to officials with knowledge of the operation and court filings. National Guard troops and Marines will transport ICE agents to and from raids and secure neighborhood perimeters while ICE agents conduct operations. California Democrats argue that this violates the Posse Comitatus Act, an 1878 law that bars federal troops from participating in civilian law enforcement efforts. California Attorney General Rob Bonta argued in a court motion on Tuesday that the Trump administration's deployment violates that law. 'The federalized National Guard and active-duty Marines deployed in Los Angeles will engage in quintessential law enforcement activity in violation of the PCA,' the motion said, referring to the Posse Comitatus Act. 'Defendants will create a substantial likelihood that the military will physically confront, detain, or search civilians whom they perceive are posing a security threat, thereby actively executing civil laws.' A military official with knowledge of the operation told NBC News that the Marines would not conduct arrests and would only transport and guard ICE agents. They said that these activities would not violate the Posse Comitatus Act. As with many other political battles since Trump took office, the issue will be decided in court. On Thursday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer will hold a hearing in San Francisco to hear arguments from both sides regarding Trump's use of the National Guard and Marines in L.A. Breyer could accept or reject Bonta's request that he issue a court order blocking the Trump Administration from using National Guard troops and Marines during ICE operations. Some local law enforcement officials and state Democrats say that Trump is stoking tensions rather than calming them. The National Guard is often used to respond to riots or violence on American streets. And active-duty Marines are not typically trained for domestic law enforcement and lack the tools or the training to respond to civil disturbances. Mike Hillman, a law enforcement consultant, military veteran and former Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief who served more than 40 years in the department, said there is a big difference between what law enforcement does and what Marines do. 'The Marines are warfighters and they come with rules of engagement and tools and equipment that they would normally use under those circumstances,' Hillman told NBC News. 'This situation has serious consequences. It puts the United States Marine Corps and the warfighters in the position where they are having to deal with domestic incidents on domestic soil.' Concerns about Marine 'rules of force' Some of the Marines deployed to Los Angeles will provide security and transportation for ICE personnel as they conduct operations. This includes driving ICE agents in military vehicles to arrest locations, according to two sources familiar with the plans. The Marines have been issued small cards that list 'rules of force' — terminology used for domestic military operations, the two sources said. The cards describe what Marines are allowed to do during a deployment. Two sources familiar with the planning say that ICE agents, as well as local officials in Los Angeles, have expressed concern about those rules of engagement. The sources said ICE agents worry that the Marines have not been properly trained and could be pulled into law enforcement operations for which local police or the National Guard is better suited. Jim McDonnell, the Los Angeles police chief, said in a statement on Monday that he was not notified of the Marine deployment and urged federal officials to maintain continuous communications with local law enforcement officials. 'The arrival of federal military forces in Los Angeles — absent clear coordination — presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding this city,' he said. 'We are urging open and continuous lines of communication between all agencies to prevent confusion, avoid escalation, and ensure a coordinated, lawful, and orderly response during this critical time.' Warning from Rodney King riots An incident in Los Angeles during the 1992 riots following the police beating of Rodney King serves as a cautionary tale. According to the book, 'Fires and Furies,' by Maj. Gen. James Delk, who oversaw National Guard operations in California at the time, Marines caused an incident when they accompanied police officers to a domestic disturbance in the wake of the riots. A police officer asked the Marines to 'cover me' as he tried to enter the residence, according to the book. Instead of simply pointing their weapons at it to deter the people inside, the Marines opened fire on the house. 'The officer had not meant shoot when he yelled 'cover me' to the Marines,' Delk wrote. The officer meant, 'point your weapon and be prepared to respond if necessary. However, the Marines responded instantly in the way they had been trained, where 'cover me' means 'provide me with cover using firepower.'' California legal battle California Attorney General Bonta's motion asked Judge Breyer, the federal judge in San Francisco, to issue a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump Administration from using National Guard troops or Marines during ICE operations. 'Defendants, including President Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth have sought to bring military personnel and a 'warrior culture' to the streets of cities and towns where Americans work, go to school and raise their families,' Bonta wrote. On Tuesday, Department of Justice lawyers rebuffed Bonta's motion. 'Plaintiffs' motion is legally meritless,' they wrote in a filing. 'It seeks an extraordinary, unprecedented and dangerous court order.' Bonta's motion argued that the administration's actions, in fact, were dangerous. 'There is no invasion or rebellion in Los Angeles," it said, "only the kind of civil unrest that occurs from time to time that is typically the purview of local law enforcement.'
Time Out
22 minutes ago
- Time Out
L.A. immigration raids—what to know about the ongoing protests and curfew
After five straight days of protests over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (a.k.a. ICE) raids in Los Angeles, yesterday evening the city's mayor, Karen Bass, issued an overnight curfew for Downtown L.A., stretching from the 110 and 10 Freeways to the point where the 5 and 110 Freeways merge. She made sure to point out, though, that the curfew only affects one square mile—a very small area of the 502 square miles that make up Los Angeles—because the city is not the 'war zone' it's being made out to be. The curfew was put in place 'to curb bad actors who do not support the immigrant community,' according to Bass. Angelenos want to exercise their right to peacefully protest, but the local government is trying to avoid tensions escalating amid federal intervention. Both Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom have slammed the deployment of the U.S. military to Los Angeles to deal with the recent protests, calling it a move designed to cause fear and panic. Many of the recent (and largely peaceful) demonstrations have been centered Downtown, specifically around the Metropolitan Detention Center and the 101 Freeway, which protesters have been flooding periodically, shutting down traffic. The LAPD announced that the 101 on- and off-ramps will remain closed today, June 11, due to scheduled protests. The area affected by the curfew includes Chinatown, the Arts District, Skid Row and the Fashion District, where the ICE raids began last Friday. The curfew and recent ICE activity is greatly affecting Downtown restaurants and businesses. How long is the L.A. curfew? Mayor Bass announced the curfew on June 10 and said it would go into effect that night from 8pm to 6am, but added that it would likely last several days. The mayor's office clarified that the curfew would be in effect indefinitely until it's officially lifted. That means that from 8pm to 6am until we hear otherwise, much of Downtown L.A. is off-limits. What happens if you violate the curfew? According to LAPD Chief of Police Jim McDonnell, 'If you are within the designated curfew zone between the hours of 8pm and 6am and are not exempt under the order, you are subject to arrest.' Exceptions will be made only for law enforcement, emergency and medical personnel, DTLA residents, people commuting to and from work and credentialed media representatives. Sure enough, during the first night of the curfew, over 200 people were arrested for charges including failure to disperse and curfew violation. The LAPD advises those who know someone who was detained overnight due to the curfew to contact the Metropolitan Detention Center for their status. Are other cities joining L.A. in protest over the immigration raids? Yes, cities across the country have been staging their own protests in solidarity with L.A., including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Boston and many cities in Texas, where the state's governor has already deployed the National Guard in anticipation of more planned demonstrations, according to CNN.
