A terrifying video shared online has captured the moment police shot an Australian news reporter during the intense LA protests.
Los Angeles plunged into turmoil this weekend as protests erupted in response to aggressive immigration raids and the detention of hundreds by ICE.
Demonstrators staged blockades, set cars ablaze, and unleashed toxic fumes throughout Downtown, forcing standstill traffic on the 101 Freeway.
At one point, protestors marched with flags and signs, seizing both northbound and southbound lanes, ABC News reported.
The LAPD responded by deploying “less lethal munitions,” and the National Guard sent in 2,000 troops, with another 500 Marines on standby, per the Daily Mail.
“Media partners, please keep a safe distance from active operations,” officers warned, as tensions flared throughout the Civic Center and LA City Hall, where horseback officers locked in tense standoffs with protest groups.
Nine News US correspondent Lauren Tomasi and her camera operator were reporting right outside the Metropolitan Detention Centre when the scene took a violent turn.
As Tomasi narrated: “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,” onlookers watched in horror. Moments later, a rubber bullet violently struck Tomasi in the calf.
In real time, viewers heard her cry out and saw her clutch her leg as a bystander yelled: “You just f****** shot the reporter!” Despite the ordeal, Tomasi reassured: “I’m good, I’m good,” shortly after collapsing.
Nine later released 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.”
The network cautioned that this incident was “a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests."
Australia’s Greens Senator Sarah Hanson‑Young condemned the incident as “simply shocking” and “completely unacceptable.”
She urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to pressure US authorities. “The first thing he must tell the president is to stop shooting at our journalists,” she said, cited by The Independent. “Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of a strong, functioning democracy.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the Australian Consulate-General in LA was in contact with Tomasi. “Australia supports media freedom and the protection of journalists. All journalists should be able to do their work safely,” a spokesperson said.
The White House described the deployment of police and National Guard troops as “essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States,” while California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed it as “purposefully inflammatory”.
Not backing down, President Trump challenged Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass to “apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots".
"These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists. Remember, NO MASKS!" he added on Truth Social.