Australian television journalist Lauren Tomasi was hit in the leg by a rubber bullet on Sunday while reporting live from downtown Los Angeles on the large-scale protests over U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and subsequent deployment of California National Guard troops to the city.
Tomasi, a 9News correspondent, was reporting live when an officer behind her raised their firearm and fired a round at close range, which was captured on video.
“After hours of standing off, the 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.,” Tomasi said, before the officer could be seen raising his gun and firing the rubber bullet at her.
“You just f—ing shot the reporter!” a voice off-camera yelled from the crowd.
Tomasi’s crew then asked her if she was OK and she replied, “Yeah, I’m good. I’m good.”
The shooting took place about an hour after Tomasi was caught in the middle of a group of protesters as she was trying to talk over the sound of gunfire.
“They’ve told people to get out of this area, and protesters have been refusing,” Tomasi said.
“We are safe here. It’s just noisy. But you can see the volatility. I can see police here are firing rubber bullets at these protesters.”
On Monday, Tomasi told 9News that she is safe and unharmed after the incident.
“I’m OK, my cameraman Jimmy and I are both safe. This is just one of the unfortunate realities of reporting on these kinds of incidents,” she said.
9News also released a statement, confirming that Tomasi was “struck by a rubber bullet.”
“Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests, underscoring the importance of their role in providing vital information,” the outlet said.
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Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also issued a statement saying that “all journalists should be able to do their work safely.”
“Australia supports media freedom and the protection of journalists,” the department said.
Australian Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young asked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to demand “an urgent explanation” from the Trump administration.
“US authorities shooting an Aussie journalist is shocking, unacceptable and must be called out,” Hanson-Young wrote. “The Prime Minister must seek an urgent explanation and tell President Trump to stop his cops shooting at our journalists.”
“Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of a strong, functioning democracy.”
Tensions in Los Angeles escalated Sunday as thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to Trump’s deployment of at least 300 California National Guard troops, blocking off a major freeway and setting self-driving cars on fire as law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd.
Many protesters dispersed as evening fell and police declared an unlawful assembly, a precursor to officers moving in and making arrests of people who didn’t leave. Some of those remaining threw objects at police from behind a makeshift barrier that spanned the width of a street and others hurled chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles parked on the closed southbound 101 Freeway. Officers ran under an overpass to take cover.
The Sunday protests in Los Angeles, a sprawling city of four million people, were centred on several blocks of downtown. It was the third and most intense day of demonstrations against Trump’s immigration crackdown in the region, as the arrival of around 300 National Guard troops spurred anger and fear among many residents.
The guard was deployed specifically to protect federal buildings, including the downtown detention centre where protesters concentrated.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields as protesters shouted “shame” and “go home.” After some closely approached the guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street.
Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully. Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until state patrol officers cleared them from the roadway by late afternoon.
Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers were “overwhelmed” by the remaining protesters. He said they included regular agitators who show up at demonstrations to cause trouble.
Several dozen people were arrested throughout the weekend of protest. One was detained on Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police, and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers.
It’s not the first time Trump has activated the National Guard to quell protests. In 2020, he asked governors of several states to send troops to Washington, D.C., to respond to demonstrations that arose after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers. Many of the governors he asked agreed, sending troops to the federal district. The governors who refused the request were allowed to do so, keeping their troops on home soil.
This time, however, Trump is acting in opposition to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who under normal circumstances would retain control and command of California’s National Guard. While Trump said that federalizing the troops was necessary to “address the lawlessness” in California, the Democratic governor said the move was “purposely inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.”
— With files from The Associated Press