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Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Watch as Australian reporter hit by a rubber bullet while covering escalating L.A. protests
As tensions boiled over for a third-straight day in Los Angeles, an Australian television reporter covering the unrest was hit with a rubber bullet during a live broadcast on Sunday. Article content At the time, Lauren Tomasi, a U.S. correspondent for 9News, and her camera operator were wrapping up a live hit from a downtown street near the Metropolitan Detention Centre, where protesters have clashed with police since Friday. Article content Article content 'This situation has now rapidly deteriorated, the LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of L.A.,' the 31-year-old, standing alongside other members of the media, says into the camera as loud bangs and screams echo around her. Article content As the camera pans to the viewer's left, an unmasked LAPD officer in riot gear quickly appears to take aim and fire at Tomasi, who is standing back on. The reporter quickly grabs her lower left leg as she screams in pain. Article content 'You just f—ing shot the reporter,' screams a voice off camera as Tomasi's cameraman turns away and asks if she's OK. Article content U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi has been caught in the crossfire as the LAPD fired rubber bullets at protesters in the heart of Los Angeles. #9News LATEST: — 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) June 9, 2025 Article content Article content Some time before, at approximately 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Tomasi and her cameraman, whom she later identified as Jimmy, were caught in a large crowd that officers were trying to disperse from a major intersection with tear gas, flash bangs and horse-mounted officers. Article content 'We are safe here. It's just noisy. But you can see the volatility,' she tells Today Extra hosts back in Sydney. Article content The city had declared the gathering to be an unlawful assembly. Article content The City of Los Angeles is on Tactical Alert. An UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY has been declared for the area of Alameda between 2nd St and Aliso St. A DISPERSAL ORDER has been issued. Arrests are being made. To our media partners, please keep a safe distance from active operations. — LAPD Central Division (@LAPDCentral) June 8, 2025
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Australian Reporter Shot by Rubber Bullet While Covering LA Immigration Protests
While covering the ongoing immigration protests in Los Angeles, a reporter was struck in the leg by a rubber bullet by a member of the LAPD. 9 News Australia reporter Lauren Tomasi's injury was caught on video in a clip that was posted to X. 'After hours of standing off, the situation has now rapidly deteriorated,' Tomasi, the U.S. correspondent for the Australian news organization, says in the clip. 'The LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protestors, moving them on through the heart of L.A.' In the video, Tomasi is holding a microphone while being filmed by a cameraperson as she stands slightly to the side of a line of LAPD officers on horseback. As the rest of the LAPD officers face forward, one can be seen turning to face Tomasi, aiming and firing. Tomasi screams and grabs her leg as an unseen person yells at the officer, 'You just f–king shot the reporter.' The camera then jostles a bit as the cameraperson, presumably accompanied by Tomasi, walks away from the officers. 'You OK?' the cameraperson asks. 'Yeah, I'm good. I'm good,' Tomasi responds. Watch the full video of the encounter below. Tomasi isn't the first member of the press who has been injured while covering these protests against ICE raids. On Saturday night, a local CBS Los Angeles reporter was also temporarily blinded after being hit with tear gas while reporting on protests. The Los Angeles protests over the Trump administration's federal arrests of undocumented individuals started in earnest on Friday in Los Angeles' city limit, though they grew in intensity by Sunday. That's when President Trump sent 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in an attempt to quell the protests. This marked the first time a president sent the National Guard to a state without a request from that state's governor since the 1960s. Before the National Guard was sent in, there were reports that some protestors were openly attacking officers. Those instances of violence continued through Sunday as several protestors clashed with officers, resulting in injuries, according to federal law enforcement officials. Protest hotspots included the city of Paramount on Saturday, the Westlake District and the Edward Roybal Federal Building in downtown L.A., where hundreds of people were being detained. As of mid-afternoon on Sunday, no official tally of arrests had been released. By Sunday evening, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a formal letter demanding that the National Guard be withdrawn and that Trump rescind his memo. Newsom called the federal deployment 'a serious breach of state sovereignty' and announced plans to sue Trump over it on Monday. The post Australian Reporter Shot by Rubber Bullet While Covering LA Immigration Protests | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
New York Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Some Journalists Are Injured While Covering L.A. Protests
Several journalists have been injured while covering the protests in Los Angeles, including a television reporter who was struck when a law enforcement officer fired a nonlethal projectile while she was on the air. The reporter, Lauren Tomasi of 9News Australia, a CNN affiliate, was conducting a live broadcast from the scene of a protest on Sunday afternoon when she was hit. Video of the broadcast shows Ms. Tomasi standing off to the side of an intersection in downtown Los Angeles. Armed police officers, some on horseback, are seen behind her, squaring off against protesters as booms are heard in the background. 'The situation has now rapidly deteriorated, the L.A.P.D. moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets,' Ms. Tomasi says in the report, referring to officers from the Los Angeles Police Department. Then, the video shows a law enforcement officer pointing a weapon toward Ms. Tomasi and firing it. She shrieks and limps away. According to the broadcaster, Ms. Tomasi was hit with a projectile and left sore but not seriously hurt. According to CNN, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a statement in support of Ms. Tomasi, saying 'all journalists should be able to do their work safely.' It was not immediately clear whether the officer had been aiming at Ms. Tomasi, or what law enforcement agency the officer belonged to. The L.A.P.D., the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security are among the agencies whose officers were responding to the protests. The L.A.P.D. said it did not have 'any comment or statement on any specific incident pertaining to the protests.' Rubber bullets and projectiles are billed as nonlethal alternatives to live rounds, but they can cause serious injuries, prompting growing calls to ban their use. They are regularly used by police departments for crowd control during protests or crowd unrest, and were used during the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, in 2020. In another episode, Nick Stern, a British photojournalist based in Southern California, told The Guardian that he had been seriously injured by what appeared to be a nonlethal projectile fired at him while covering a protest on Saturday in Paramount, a city in Los Angeles County. He was left with a wound in his leg and taken in for surgery, according to news media reports. A New York Times reporter was struck with a rubber bullet by officers late Sunday in downtown Los Angeles. The reporter was treated at a hospital but not seriously injured.
Irish Daily Star
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Star
Reporter shot by LAPD during live broadcast in harrowing moment caught on camera
A startling video posted on X captures the moment an Australian journalist is fired upon with rubber bullets while reporting on the ongoing confrontation between ICE agents and protesters . The footage, shared to X, features 9News Australia's U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi as she delivers her report. Gunshots ring out in the background as Tomasi reports, with protesters opposing U.S. President Donald Trump 's deportation policies shouting and directing insults at federal agents. At one point, Tomasi and her crew begin approaching the police line, prompting an officer to raise his rifle and shoot, striking Tomasi in the leg with a rubber bullet. Read More Related Articles Sisters, 9, 8 and 5, found dead on dad visitation had zip-tied bags over heads Read More Related Articles Liam Neeson spoke about friends who died on hunger strike during the Troubles Tomasi screams and clutches her leg, while her camera operator yells at the officers, "You just shot the f******* reporter!" The camera shifts to show protesters as the operator checks on Tomasi, asking if she is "okay." "Yeah, I'm good," she replies, as she limped away from the action. "I'm good." If you can't see the clip below, click here This comes as 2,000 National Guard troops were sent to the scene by Donald Trump, with recent reports suggesting that an additional 500 marines are on standby. California's Governor Gavin Newsom took to social media to urge people not to resort to violence, despite Trump's decision. "He's hoping for chaos so he can justify more crackdowns, more fear, more control," Newsrom wrote in an X post. "Stay calm. Never use violence. Stay peaceful," he said. Meanwhile, some members of the public have insisted that this is the beginning of a "civil war" in America, with some fearing that these scenes are set to become common across the country. Writing on X, one user said "sadly LA looks like a scene from the 2024 Civil War movie," while another user asked: "Is the US now in de facto civil war or is that not yet what they call it?" For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here .
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Journalist Shot by Police at LA Protests
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. An Australian journalistm Lauren Tomasim was struck by police-fired projectiles during escalating protests in Los Angeles this weekend, amid broader national unrest following President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement raids. Why It Matters The shooting of a journalist by police using less-lethal munitions raises international concerns about press freedom and the safety of reporters covering unrest. It highlights the increasingly aggressive stance of U.S. law enforcement toward media during demonstrations. After a series of immigration raids on Friday sparked a large protest in the city, the president federalized the California National Guard and deployed troops to Los Angeles, despite objections from Governor Gavin Newsom. U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi has been caught in the crossfire as the LAPD fired rubber bullets at protesters in the heart of Los Angeles. #9News LATEST: — 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) June 9, 2025 What To Know Tomasi, a U.S. correspondent for 9News Australia, was hit by less-lethal rounds near Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday evening while documenting clashes between demonstrators and heavily armed police. Less-lethal munitions can refer to rubber bullets, pepper spray, tear gas, and electric-shock weapons, among others. A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: "The Australian Consulate-General in Los Angeles is in contact with an Australian injured in protests, and stands ready to provide consular assistance if required." Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been urged to seek an "urgent explanation" from Trump. National Guard troops were mobilized to reinforce local police, and armored vehicles and military personnel became visible across key intersections in L.A. Lauren Tomasi was caught in the crossfire as the LAPD fired rubber bullets during protests on Sunday. Lauren Tomasi was caught in the crossfire as the LAPD fired rubber bullets during protests on Sunday. 9News Australia In recent years, organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have flagged the United States for a rise in press-targeted violence during protests. According to a 2024 report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, attacks on journalists in the U.S. increased by more than 50 percent from 2023 to 2024, with members of the media facing threats including violence, online harassment, legal challenges, and attacks by police. Reporters Without Borders has also condemned arrests and violence against journalists covering protests, urging law enforcement agencies to protect and respect the rights of all media personnel. How Did the Protests Break Out? Protests in Los Angeles erupted following immigration raids conducted in the city by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE). As tensions escalated, Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops and used federal authority to place them under national command, bypassing Newsom without invoking the Insurrection Act. Heavily armed police and National Guard troops were deployed to disperse demonstrators in Downtown L.A. What were described initially as peaceful protests escalated as crowds attempted to block roads and took part in vandalism. Law enforcement officials cited threats to public safety, including property damage and officer injuries, as justification for escalating their tactics. However, video footage captured by bystanders and media raised questions about the proportionality of force used, including against credentialed reporters. What Happens Next As investigations into Tomasi's injury begin, the Australian government has reportedly initiated diplomatic inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The LAPD has not publicly commented on whether the journalist was targeted or struck inadvertently.
