Latest news with #rubberbullets
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
What are rubber bullets? What other crowd control methods are used in the Los Angeles ICE protests?
Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while reporting on protests against US immigration enforcement in Los Angeles this week. Photo: Screengrab from 9News Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while reporting on protests against US immigration enforcement in Los Angeles this week. The Nine News journalist said she was "a bit sore but OK" after the incident. Firing rubber bullets is just one of the crowd control tactics being used by authorities at the demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Here's what we know about the methods authorities use to control crowds. The LAPD has launched an investigation after #9News U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi was hit with a rubber bullet during protests. MORE: The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) authorised officers to use what it calls "less lethal munitions" in the protests over the weekend. The word "munitions" can mean weapons but, in this context, it refers to ammunition - so, things like bullets. LAPD officers shoot rubber bullets at protesters in front of the City Hall in Los Angeles, California. Photo: AFP / APU GOMES According to Los Angeles police training documents, these include: These are the kind of ammunition people might call "rubber bullets". It's a projectile that's softer than a traditional metal bullet. And they're not fired from a rifle or a handgun. Instead, they're fired from what the Los Angeles police call "Less Lethal Launchers" in another set of training documents. That depends on the type of bullet being used. The Los Angeles police use the following "less lethal" bullets, which they call "rounds": The 37mm rounds look like mini hockey pucks. They weigh about 14 grams, with a height and diameter of 3.3 centimetres. They're made from rubber, according to the manufacturer. Before they're fired, the 40mm rounds look a bit like roll-on deodorant cans. These rounds are 6.7 centimetres high and 4 centimetres wide. They have a plastic body and a foam tip, according to the manufacturer, and weigh 30 grams. "Less lethal munitions may cause pain and discomfort," the LAPD wrote in a post on X. The severity of the pain and injury really depends on where a person is hit. Reuters spoke to Isaac Siova, who was hit by a rubber bullet at the protest in Los Angeles on Saturday. He was hit on the hip. "It didn't really hurt," he told Reuters about first being hit. But he said it started aching after about 20 minutes and showed a sizeable welt to journalists at the scene. Law enforcement fire less-lethal munitions at protesters during clashes outside the federal building in Los Angeles, California. Photo: ETIENNE LAURENT Tomasi, an Australian journalist for 9News, was shot in the leg from behind while filming a piece to camera. She said she was "a bit sore" but "OK" after being shot. Tomasi filed a report later that night, local time, standing in an empty street in Los Angeles. She wasn't the only journalist to be shot by a rubber bullet. British news photographer Nick Stern was covering the protests on Sunday when a three-inch "plastic bullet" tore into his thigh. Speaking with the BBC, Mr Stern said he was standing in the middle of the road when he was struck. "I suddenly got this terrific pain on my leg," he told the BBC's Three Counties Radio. "There was something hard sticking out of the back of my leg and then it was getting wet from blood." The journalist has since undergone emergency surgery and is recovering at Long Beach Memorial Medical Centre. No - they're designed to cause pain. When using the 40mm round, officers are supposed to aim for around a person's belly button. They're prohibited from firing at a person's head, neck, chest, groin or kidneys, "due to potential for serious injuries", training documents say. Tear gas Tear gas is a chemical compound that can render people temporarily unable to function by irritating the eyes, nose, mouth and lungs. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that "riot agents" like tear gas can cause blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, skin burns, nausea and vomiting. It's usually fired in a canister. It is prohibited to use any form of tear gas in war under the Chemical Weapons Convention. However, police around the world use it during times of civil unrest. One of the more notable times US authorities used tear gas was during the 2020 demonstrations against police brutality, sparked by the killing of George Floyd. Flashbang grenades A flashbang is an explosive device that emits an extremely loud noise and bright lights to disorient people. They can cause temporary blindness and shifts in hearing, typically lasting a few seconds, according to a paper in the American Journal of Operations Research. US federal agents in tactical gear threw flashbang grenades to disperse an angry crowd near downtown LA on Friday as they conducted an immigration raid on a clothing wholesaler. Law enforcement clashes with demonstrators outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, MDC, in downtown Los Angeles, California. Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN Pepper balls Pepper balls are very similar to paintballs. But instead of paint, they are filled with an oily, organic resin called oleoresin capsicum (OC), which is derived from chillies - which are called peppers in the US. It's the same irritant used in pepper spray and comes in powder or liquid form. With a range of up to 99 metres, they break on impact and release an irritant that causes a person's eyes to water and nose to run, as well as inducing coughing. Police used pepper balls outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles on Monday after telling people to "clear the area" on a loudspeaker, CNN video showed. In some cases, pepper balls can be extremely dangerous. In 2004, American journalism student Victoria Snelgrove died after being shot in the eye with a pepper ball as Boston police sought to clear a crowd of revellers following the baseball World Series. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Victoria Police were forced to use a range of non-lethal weapons including pepper ball rounds and OC foam canisters to try and disperse crowds in Melbourne CBD. Batons Batons are essentially hand-held clubs. Police officers use batons for crowd control primarily as a less-lethal tool for defensive purposes, according to Amnesty International. Authorities could be seen swinging batons and striking members of the crowd in a video published by the New York Post. A demonstrator holding flowers walks past police officers as protesters clash with law enforcement in the streets surrounding the federal building during a protest following federal immigration operations in Los Angeles. Photo: AFP / RINGO CHIU Yes. These kinds of weapons used to be called "non-lethal incapacitating weapons" by the United Nations (UN) back in the 1990s. But it doesn't use the term "non-lethal" anymore, instead opting for the phrasing "less lethal". "This term is rarely used today … because it is accepted that such weapons are not non-lethal in practice - they can, and do, kill," the UN Office of Drugs and Crime says. - ABC
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
PM says journalist's shooting with rubber bullet raised with US; another embryo bungle at Monash IVF; and life behind a beauty counter
Welcome to Afternoon Update. The Los Angeles Police Department has responded to reports of media being hit with rubber bullets while covering protests in LA, saying 'we're very concerned about it and we're looking into that'. Nine's US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was hit with a rubber bullet on Monday and a British news photographer believed he was also likely hit over the weekend with a non-lethal round. Speaking at the National Press Club, Anthony Albanese described the footage, which appears to show an LAPD officer aiming in the direction of Tomasi, as 'horrific'. The prime minister said there was 'no ambiguity' that Tomasi was a reporter, and that the issue has been raised with the US administration. Monash IVF admits second bungled embryo implant, this time at Victorian clinic Erin Patterson denies lying about making herself vomit after fatal mushroom lunch New Zealand government sued over 'dangerously inadequate' emissions reduction plan RFK Jr to remove all members of CDC panel advising on US vaccines Public disorder breaks out in Northern Ireland town Ballymena after alleged sexual assault Israel preparing to deport Gaza aid boat activists, including Greta Thunberg Funk music pioneer Sly Stone has died aged 82. He leaves behind a career filled with influential, experimental and uplifting music that's soundtracked generations of dancefloors. 'If we have another three years like the last six years, the party will disappear.' Intense discussions are under way within the Liberal party about an alternative to the three-person administrative committee now in control of its New South Wales branch. Liberals who spoke to Guardian Australia take us inside the battle for the soul of the party in NSW. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The Climate Council issued the prediction on Tuesday, amid heightened demand for home batteries after the announcement of a $2.3bn federal government scheme to subsidise their purchase by 30% from July. Life outside work can be chaotic and grubby, but things are different behind the beauty counter: its strict code of conduct, its obsession with ritual and its insistence that perfection is possible between the hours of 10 and six. Perhaps you know someone with the same story as Chloe Elisabeth Wilson? Someone who went from casual employee to dedicated, dewy-skinned disciple. Today's starter word is: LIP. You have five goes to get the longest word, including the starter word. Play Wordiply. Enjoying the Afternoon Update? Then you'll love our Morning Mail newsletter. Sign up here to start the day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know, and complete your daily news roundup. And follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Australian PM Anthony Albanese calls shooting of journalist with rubber bullet in Los Angeles 'horrific'
By Georgie Hewson , ABC Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while reporting on protests against US immigration enforcement in Los Angeles this week. Photo: Screengrab from 9News Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while reporting on protests against US immigration enforcement in Los Angeles this week . Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he has spoken with the Channel Nine reporter. He has labelled the footage "horrific" and says the government has spoken with the US administration about the incident. He told the National Press Club he spoke with her this morning and she is going "OK". "But that footage was horrific," he said. "That was the footage of an Australian journalist doing what journalists do at their very best, at their very best, which is to go into an environment that' not comfortable, but where in LA, it is not unreasonable to think that she would not have been targeted with a rubber bullet. "It is not unreasonable to think that she could go about the coverage, clearly as people can see in the footage, clearly identified as media. "So we have already raised these issues with the US administration. "We don't find it acceptable that it occurred and we think that the role of the media is particularly important." Firing rubber bullets is just one of the crowd control tactics being used by authorities at the demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. - ABC
ABC News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
What are rubber bullets? What other crowd control methods are used in the LA ICE protests?
Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while reporting on protests against US immigration enforcement in Los Angeles this week. The Nine News journalist said she was "a bit sore but OK" after the incident. Firing rubber bullets is just one of the crowd control tactics being used by authorities at the demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Here's what we know about the methods authorities use to control crowds. 'Less lethal munitions' authorised for use The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) authorised officers to use what it calls "less lethal munitions" in the protests over the weekend. The word "munitions" can mean weapons but, in this context, it refers to ammunition — so, things like bullets. According to Los Angeles police training documents, these include: 37 mm Multiple Foam Baton 37 mm Multiple Foam Baton 40 mm Foam Baton Kinetic Energy Projectiles These are the kind of ammunition people might call "rubber bullets". What is a rubber bullet? It's a projectile that's softer than a traditional metal bullet. And they're not fired from a rifle or a handgun. Instead, they're fired from what the Los Angeles police call "Less Lethal Launchers" in another set of training documents. On the left, you can see a blue projectile flying through the air. ( Reuters: Daniel Cole ) What do rubber bullets look like? That depends on the type of bullet being used. The Los Angeles police use the following "less lethal" bullets, which they call "rounds": 37mm Defense Technology Model 20 F Multiple Foam Baton Round 37mm Defense Technology Model 20 F Multiple Foam Baton Round 40mm Defense Technology eXact Impact Sponge Round The 37mm rounds look like mini hockey pucks. They weigh about 14 grams, with a height and diameter of 3.3 centimetres. They're made from rubber, according to the manufacturer. Before they're fired, the 40mm rounds look a bit like roll-on deodorant cans. Here's a photo of rubber bullets being carried by a police officer in Los Angeles on Sunday: Rubber bullet are much larger than a traditional bullet. ( Reuters: David Swanson ) These rounds are 6.7 centimetres high and 4 centimetres wide. They have a plastic body and a foam tip, according to the manufacturer, and weigh 30 grams. How painful is being hit by a rubber bullet? "Less lethal munitions may cause pain and discomfort," the LAPD wrote in a post on X. The severity of the pain and injury really depends on where a person is hit. Reuters spoke to Isaac Siova, who was hit by a rubber bullet at the protest in Los Angeles on Saturday. He was hit on the hip. "It didn't really hurt," he told Reuters about first being hit. But he said it started aching after about 20 minutes and showed a sizeable welt to journalists at the scene. Tomasi, an Australian journalist for 9News, was shot in the leg from behind while filming a piece to camera. She said she was "a bit sore" but "OK" after being shot. Tomasi filed a report later that night, local time, standing in an empty street in Los Angeles. Tomasi reported for 9News later that day. ( 9News ) She wasn't the only journalist to be shot by a rubber bullet. British news photographer Nick Stern was covering the protests on Sunday when a three-inch "plastic bullet" tore into his thigh. Speaking with the BBC, Mr Stern said he was standing in the middle of the road when he was struck. "I suddenly got this terrific pain on my leg," he told the BBC's Three Counties Radio. "There was something hard sticking out of the back of my leg and then it was getting wet from blood." Protesters help news photographer Nick Stern after an injury during a protest in LA. ( AP: Ethan Swope ) The journalist has since undergone emergency surgery and is recovering at Long Beach Memorial Medical Centre. Are rubber bullets harmless? No — they're designed to cause pain. When using the 40mm round, officers are supposed to aim for around a person's belly button. They're prohibited from firing at a person's head, neck, chest, groin or kidneys, "due to potential for serious injuries", training documents say. What other 'less lethal' weapons are there? Police officers and protesters are enveloped in a cloud of smoke from tear gas on a highway on-ramp. ( Reuters: Omar Younis ) Tear gas is a chemical compound that can render people temporarily unable to function by irritating the eyes, nose, mouth and lungs. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that "riot agents" like tear gas can cause blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, skin burns, nausea and vomiting. It's usually fired in a canister. It is prohibited to use any form of tear gas in war under the Chemical Weapons Convention. However, police around the world use it during times of civil unrest. One of the more notable times US authorities used tear gas was during the 2020 demonstrations against police brutality, sparked by the killing of George Floyd. Flashbang grenades A flashbang is an explosive device that emits an extremely loud noise and bright lights to disorient people. They can cause temporary blindness and shifts in hearing, typically lasting a few seconds, according to a paper in the American Journal of Operations Research. A 40mm flash bang canister that was used on LA protesters. ( Reuters: Jill Connelly ) US federal agents in tactical gear threw flashbang grenades to disperse an angry crowd near downtown LA on Friday as they conducted an immigration raid on a clothing wholesaler. Pepper balls A police officer fires pepper spray balls at protesters blocking the garage entrance of the Los Angeles Federal Building. ( Reuters: Daniel Cole ) Pepper balls are very similar to paintballs. But instead of paint, they are filled with an oily, organic resin called oleoresin capsicum (OC), which is derived from chillies — which are called peppers in the US. It's the same irritant used in pepper spray and comes in powder or liquid form. With a range of up to 99 metres, they break on impact and release an irritant that causes a person's eyes to water and nose to run, as well as inducing coughing. Police used pepper balls outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles on Monday after telling people to "clear the area" on a loudspeaker, CNN video showed. In some cases, pepper balls can be extremely dangerous. In 2004, American journalism student Victoria Snelgrove died after being shot in the eye with a pepper ball as Boston police sought to clear a crowd of revellers following the baseball World Series. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Victoria Police were forced to use a range of non-lethal weapons including pepper ball rounds and OC foam canisters to try and disperse crowds in Melbourne CBD. Batons Law enforcement officers have been using batons and tasers to disperse crowds in LA. ( Reuters: Lindsey Wasson ) Batons are essentially hand-held clubs. Police officers use batons for crowd control primarily as a less-lethal tool for defensive purposes, according to Amnesty International. Authorities could be seen swinging batons and striking members of the crowd in a video published by the New York Post. Can these weapons be deadly? Yes. These kinds of weapons used to be called "non-lethal incapacitating weapons" by the United Nations (UN) back in the 1990s. But it doesn't use the term "non-lethal" anymore, instead opting for the phrasing "less lethal". "This term is rarely used today … because it is accepted that such weapons are not non-lethal in practice — they can, and do, kill," the UN Office of Drugs and Crime says.
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Nine reporter hit with rubber bullet at LA protest; LAPD 'very concerned', says chief
An Australian reporter was shot with a rubber bullet while reporting on protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles on Sunday, with the incident caught live on camera. The footage shows an officer taking aim in the direction of Nine News US correspondent Lauren Tomasi and her camera operator and then firing. The Los Angeles police chief, Jim McDonnell, said at a press conference on Monday he was aware members of the media had been likely been hit with crowd-control munitions, saying 'we're very concerned about it and we're looking into that'
