Protests in Los Angeles, California took off on Sunday, June 8, as people took to the streets to protest against president Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.
The situation turned violent with some protesters setting fire to cars in the street and LAPD shooting rubber bullets, one of which hit a reporter on the scene.
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She was reporting on the protests
Lauren Tomasi, a US correspondent for the Australian outlet Nine News, was reporting on the scene of the protests when she was shot by a rubber bullet.
She was explaining the situation
Tomasi was telling viewers that “after hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated, the LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of LA.”
Tomasi was shot seconds later
A few seconds after she spoke about the situation, Tomasi was shot with a rubber bullet. A bystander can then be heard yelling, “You just f**king shot the reporter.”
When asked if she was ok, Tomasi responded, “I’m good.”
An officer seemed to take aim at her direction
Footage shared by Nine News on social media shows an officer appearing to take aim in Tomasi’s direction before firing the bullet.
Nine News released a statement about the incident
The reporter’s news outlet said in a statement, “Lauren 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 Australian PM was asked to demand an explanation
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese was called for by Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young to demand ‘an urgent explanation’ on the situation from the LAPD who were on the scene.
“The first thing he [Albanese] must tell the president is to stop shooting at our journalists,” the senator said. “Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of a strong, functioning democracy.”
LAPD asked people to stay away
This comes after the LAPD Central Division issued a public warning prior to the riots. They wrote on X, “An UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY has been declared for the Civic Center area of DTLA. A number of people have been arrested. All people are to stay away from the Civic Center area of DTLA.”
And in another post they wrote, “To our media partners, please keep a safe distance from active operations.”
Trump sent the National Guard to the scene
Since the start of the riots, Trump has sent the National Guard, urging the LAPD to ‘bring the troops’ when Chief Jim McDonnell said he was reassessing whether they were needed or not, as per the CNN.
