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New York Post
39 minutes ago
- Politics
- New York Post
This is all the riot gear LA cops are using to break up anti-ICE protests amid ‘explosive escalation'
Los Angeles cops have fired hundreds of rounds of less-lethal ammunition, deployed tear gas and flash bangs to break up the anti-ICE protests that have raged for nearly a week across Southern California. More than 200 people were arrested on Tuesday night alone after Mayor Karen Bass instituted a curfew on Los Angeles. 'The most explosive escalation of tensions between demonstrators and police since the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 is currently unfolding in Los Angeles over Trump's 'mass deportation agenda,'' said Kieran Doyle, with Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a group that tracks civil unrest and wars. Advertisement 16 Police in riot gear in downtown Los Angeles during anti-ICE protests. Toby Canham for NY Post 16 A protester getting arrested by the California Highway Patrol in downtown LA on June 10, 2025. AP Here are some of the riot tools that cops are deploying across Los Angeles to stop rioters and control protests. Tear gas Advertisement Also called CS gas, for the active ingredient it uses, the has been deployed by both the LAPD and California Highway Patrol — in the form of hand-held canisters — to disperse hostile crowds. Tear gas is banned for use in warfare under the Geneva Protocol, but is commonly used for riot control by police. 16 Protesters running as police officers use tear gas and flash bangs at the Federal Building in Santa Ana on June 9, 2025. AP 16 A protester washing his eyes out with milk after getting hit with tear gas. eff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP Advertisement 16 A protester wiping her eyes after tear gas was deployed in LA on June 6, 2025. AP Impact rounds or baton rounds This 'less-lethal ammo' is fired from either a specialized launcher or a modified shotgun. These can cause blunt force injuries and lacerations. The LAPD fired off some 600 baton rounds over the weekend, using lighter rubberized foam projectiles in place of traditional rubber bullets, the WSJ reported. Advertisement 16 A police officer firing less lethal munitions at a protester in downtown LA on June 9, 2025. Photo by RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images 16 Bruises on a protester's torso after getting hit with 'less-lethal ammo' Photo by16 An officer holding a less lethal munition launcher outside the Edward Roybal Federal Building. Getty Images Many police departments started using these as a less dangerous alternative to rubber bullets, which caused serious injures, including in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Officers are often trained to aim these low so that they bounce off the ground, so as to avoid head injuries. However, New York Post photographer Toby Canham appears to have been shot with one of these rounds directly in the head while snapping images of a riot this week. 16 Cops under a bridge fire a baton round, which New York Post photographer Toby Canham. Toby Canham for NY Post Advertisement 16 Canham was hit by a less-lethal round during the latest unrest in LA. Louise Barnsley He captured an incredible image of the projectile coming straight at him before he was hit. The round left him with a massive wound on his forehead. Similarly, an Australian TV reporter appears to have been shot with one of these rounds live on the air. Pepper balls Authorities in LA have used pepper balls — a less-lethal projectile designed to burst on impact and release pepper spray for crowd control. Advertisement 16 An LA County Sheriff's deputy preparing to use a pepper ball gun during protests in Paramount on June 7, 2025. 16 Police officers firing pepper spray balls at protesters at the Los Angeles Federal Building entrance on June 6, 2025. REUTERS These chemicals can cause a burning sensation to exposed skin, coughing and gagging, and watering and closing off the eyes. These are fired from weapons that look like paintballs guns. Batons Advertisement 16 Police are using different tactics and weapons to try and manage the latest protests. Toby Canham for NY Post 16 A Los Angeles Metro Police officer preparing to swing a baton on June 8, 2025. REUTERS 16 A press photographer wounded during a protest in Compton, LA over the weekend. AP The LAPD and California Highway Patrol have used batons made of either wood, metal or polycarbonate to strike demonstrators. Advertisement Night sticks are among the oldest tools in law enforcement when it comes to crowd control and making arrests of hostile people. 16 A flash bang canister seen on the ground in downtown LA on June 9, 2025. REUTERS Flash bangs (stun grenades) Used by both the military and the police, flash bangs explode with both a blinding flash and a deafening boom. The aim is to disorient targets.


Reuters
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Journalists among the injured in LA as ICE protests grow violent
June 11 (Reuters) - Journalists have been among those injured during protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles in recent days, as police clashed with crowds of protesters and fired less-lethal munitions to disperse them. Since confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement first flared over the weekend, more than 30 cases of "police violence" against journalists while covering the protests have been reported, according to a database maintained by the Los Angeles Press Club. The press club includes physical violence as well as efforts to impair journalists' coverage, such as nonconsensual bag searches, in the category. It updates its database with reports from journalists and incidents reported on social media. Some of the incidents have resulted in injuries. Lauren Tomasi, U.S. correspondent for 9News Australia, was hit by a projectile while reporting live in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. Tomasi had her back to police and was speaking into the camera when an officer pointed a weapon toward her and fired it, according to a video of the incident. Toby Canham, a freelance photographer working for the New York Post, said he was struck by a projectile on Sunday, resulting in a bruised forehead. In an interview he said the projectile, which was "hard and rubbery," knocked him to the ground. The Post published an image shot by Canham showing a law enforcement official that he said had fired at him from about 100 yards (91 meters) away. Tomasi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Matt Stanton, CEO of 9News parent company Nine, in a statement called the incident 'shocking' and emphasized the need for a formal investigation. A photo editor at the New York Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The press club said it was aware of 20 injuries to journalists during the LA protests, including at least five that required medical attention. While Reuters established that at least two journalists were injured, the news agency could not independently confirm whether Tomasi or Canham were targeted because they are journalists. Reuters also could not confirm the press club's figures. In remarks to Australia's National Press Club on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tomasi was targeted as a journalist and that Australia has raised the issue with the Trump administration. An LAPD spokesperson did not confirm it had launched an investigation into the Tomasi incident, but highlighted a press release stating that its professional standards bureau 'will be investigating allegations of excessive force and other issues related to LAPD actions during the protests.' It is unclear whether those allegations relate to Tomasi. Other journalists included in the database said they were tear-gassed alongside protesters, kept in a small area, or had their bags searched by law enforcement without their consent. Asked about the incidents involving journalists, a White House spokesperson highlighted the risks to law enforcement officers and the public. 'Whenever violent, left-wing rioters engage in lawless behavior, they put innocent bystanders at risk," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement. She added that Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass "refused to quell the violent riots" and are "directly responsible for putting civilians in harm's way." Spokespeople for Newsom and Bass did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Bass, a Democrat, has said protests have been "largely peaceful", but there have also been incidents of protesters hurling projectiles at police, burning cars and looting. Adam Rose, the press club's press rights chair, said the volume of incidents involving members of the media over just four days is unprecedented in Los Angeles. The high frequency could reflect a number of factors, including inadequate training of both law enforcement and journalists, Rose said. Canham, the freelance photographer who was injured and who previously served in the British Army, described a scene in which people were throwing water bottles at law enforcement before an officer "deliberately aimed" at him. "My main point is, please positively ID a target before you shoot," he told Reuters. Since Los Angeles relies heavily on transportation by car, law enforcement officials have a large responsibility to move protesters out of the way to allow traffic to flow, said Katherine Jacobsen, the U.S., Canada and Caribbean program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists. The priority for moving traffic could create more opportunities for conflict between police and journalists, she said. Commentators on the right have taken to social media attacking coverage by some outlets, saying they were at times intentionally downplaying the protests. It was unclear if that criticism had any impact on the number of incidents involving journalists. Trump has said protesters have spit on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Saturday that ICE officers had been targeted in recent days and doxxed, the practice of publicizing private information for malicious reasons. Reuters could not confirm these incidents. The LA protests are not the first time journalists including some from Reuters covering U.S. civil unrest have suffered injuries, whether by accident or through deliberate attacks. The number of physical assaults on members of the media spiked in 2020, the year nationwide Black Lives Matter protests erupted after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, according to Press Freedom Tracker, which describes itself as a nonpartisan news website and database. In subsequent years, assaults on journalists have moderated, the Press Freedom Tracker shows. Before the recent unrest in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities, only a handful of such cases have been logged by the database this year.


Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment British photographer films himself getting shot in the head by LA riot cops
Shocking footage has captured the moment LA police shot a British photographer in the head with a rubber bullet as the city was rocked by violent riots on Sunday evening. Father-of-two Toby Canham, who was on assignment for the New York Post, was filming videos of the chaos from an elevated level when a California Highway Patrol officer suddenly fired at him, leaving him with a severe head wound. Disturbing footage taken by Canham captured the moment he was struck in the forehead, which caused him to fall to the ground. 'F**k, f**k, I just got shot in the head!' the photographer can be heard screaming from behind the camera. Just moments before he was struck, Canham's video showed a police officer positioning himself behind a pillar. It is unclear why Canham was hit. The LA-based photographer, who had previously served for the British Army, was treated in hospital for whiplash and neck pain. Images show the bloody red wound he was left with on his forehead. Speaking about his harrowing ordeal, Canham said: 'When I got whacked, to my best recollection it was just me filming with my cameras on and then I got shot,' said Canham. 'Where I was hit, I was the only person overlooking the freeway. I wasn't surrounded so I was an easy target.' Seconds before he was hit with the rubber bullet, a flashbang initially exploded a few feet from him, causing shrapnel to kick up and leave two holes in his pants. Los Angeles is currently in its fifth day of protests against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Demonstrations have spread to other cities nationwide, including Dallas and Austin, Texas, Chicago and New York, where a thousand people rallied and multiple arrests were made. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency and said a curfew will run from 8 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday. 'We reached a tipping point' after 23 businesses were looted, Bass said during a news conference. The curfew covers a 1 square mile section of downtown that includes the area where protests have occurred since Friday. Trump left open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, which authorizes the president to deploy military forces inside the U.S. to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations. It's one of the most extreme emergency powers available to a U.S. president. The protests began Friday after federal immigration raids arrested dozens of workers in Los Angeles as part of his crackdown on immigration. Protesters blocked a major freeway and set cars on fire over the weekend, and police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. The demonstrations have been mostly concentrated downtown in the city of 4 million. Thousands of people have peacefully rallied outside City Hall and hundreds more protested outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids. Thousands of people have peacefully rallied outside City Hall and hundreds more protested outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids Despite the protests, immigration enforcement activity has continued throughout the county, with city leaders and community groups reporting ICE present at libraries, car washes and Home Depots. School graduations in Los Angeles have increased security over fears of ICE action and some have offered parents the option to watch on Zoom. McDonnell said that police had made 197 arrests on Tuesday, including 67 who were taken into custody for unlawfully occupying part of the 101 freeway. Several businesses were broken into Monday, though authorities didn't say if the looting was tied to the protests.


The Irish Sun
15 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Terrifying moment Brit photographer films himself being shot in HEAD with rubber bullet during LA immigration riots
THIS is the terrifying moment a British veteran photographer is shot in the head during the frenzied protests in Los Angeles. Dad-of-two Toby Canham was left with a severe head wound after he was Advertisement 6 Veteran photographer Toby Canham has shared a nasty injury he suffered during the frenzied protests in Los Angeles Credit: The Mega Agency 6 The moment a California Highway Patrol officer fired at the dad-of-two Credit: The Mega Agency 6 Canham was seen being treated at the scene on Sunday night Credit: The Mega Agency Canham, 59, was standing just off the 101 Freeway in downtown LA reporting from a tense standoff between cops and protesters on Sunday. The police were stationed beneath the bridge at a low level and just 100 yards away from Canham and his camera. The photographer, who has previously served in the British Army, was on assignment for the New York Post at the time. Hundreds of rioters had gathered above the highway during the protests - prompting journalists to closely watch the chaos. Advertisement read more in LA riots But an unlucky Canham was caught by a bullet fired from a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer. Footage captured by the veteran showed the cop suddenly position himself behind a pack of fellow officers behind a pillar. Moments later he opened fire towards the top of the freeway. It is unclear what prompted the stray bullet. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Canham was savagely hit directly in the forehead and quickly collapsed to the ground. He could be heard screaming in agony: "F***, f***, I just got shot in the head!". The Sun's Katy Forrester Reporting Live from Los Angeles The journalist was helped back to his feet by horrified onlookers who quickly noticed a big red mark appearing. Pictures show Canham being treated at the scene with a noticeable gash in the middle of his head from the powerful rubber bullet. Advertisement He was taken to hospital late on Sunday and spent most of Monday being treated for whiplash and neck pain. Canham said after the ordeal: "When I got whacked, to my best recollection it was just me filming with my cameras on and then I got shot. "Where I was hit, I was the only person overlooking the freeway. I wasn't surrounded so I was an easy target ." Canham also recalled just minutes before being hit, a flashbang exploded a mere few feet away from him. Advertisement It left him with two rips in his trousers from flying shrapnel. A protester nearby reportedly launched a water bottle at authorities in retaliation. On the same day, a Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi was covering the protests for Nine News when she was hit at close range by a rubber bullet. Advertisement The ordeal caused her to collapse in agony mid-broadcast. Elsewhere, a Nick Stern, 60, from Hertford, said he had made himself clearly visible as a member of the press when he was shot while photographing a standoff between protesters and riot cops. LA's streets have turned into a warzone since Friday as heavily armed riot cops used tear gas and rubber bullets to stop incoming rioters. Advertisement Sunday night saw the worst of the protests with police being forced to defend the city as people set cars on fire and looted shops. The chaos has continued for five days with California now announcing a curfew for downtown LA between 8pm and 6am. The anti-ICE and anti-Donald Trump demonstrations have spread to New York , Chicago , San Francisco , Atlanta, Philadelphia, and other major cities since. 6 Canham taken to hospital late on Sunday and spent most of Monday being treated for whiplash and neck pain Credit: The Mega Agency Advertisement 6 TV journalist Lauren Tomasi was reporting live from the streets of LA amid the violent protests in the city when she was shot by cops 6 California's National Guard defending the Federal Building as demonstrators gather with signs Credit: AFP

Time of India
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
LAPD Shoots Journalist Covering ICE Protest: Photographer Toby Canham Shot In Head
A third journalist has now been shot while covering the chaotic anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, escalating concerns about press safety under heightened enforcement crackdowns. New York Post photographer Toby Canham was struck in the forehead by a rubber bullet on June 8, allegedly fired from 100 yards away by a California Highway Patrol officer. Canham was filming near the 101 Freeway when he was hit, and he later posted a selfie showing his bleeding head injury. Video of the incident captures him yelling, "I just got shot in the head," before dropping his camera. The footage quickly went viral, triggering outrage online and sparking backlash against Donald Trump, with many accusing him of stoking the conditions that led to this violence. Canham, a former British Army soldier, was hospitalized for whiplash and neck injuries following the attack. Read More