Anti-ICE protests in LA leave journalist injured on live television
A journalist was hit by a rubber bullet fired by police. At the same time, the federal government is intensifying immigration operations and deploying National Guard troops.
Australian reporter Laura Tomasi was hit by a rubber bullet while covering the growing protests in Los Angeles. against ICE.
Photo taken from: 9News on X
Los Angeles experienced a weekend of intense protests against the Donald Trump administration, marked by an alarming episode: the journalist Lauren Tomasi, 9News correspondent, was hit by a rubber bullet fired by a police officer while broadcasting live.
In the video, which quickly went viral on social media, you can see the exact moment Tomasi, holding a microphone, reacts with a cry of pain after being shot in the leg. A voice off-camera calls out to the officer: "You just shot the reporter!" Tomasi, stunned and visibly shaken, managed to reassure her viewers: "Yes, I'm fine, I'm fine," she said as she walked away from the police line with her cameraman.
The journalist recounted how her team was trapped between the line of protesters and security forces all afternoon. “They told people to leave this area, and the protesters refused,” she explained minutes before the attack. “We're safe here. It's just noisy, but you can see the volatility,” she said minutes before being hit by the projectile.
The reporter later confirmed that both she and her cameraman, Jimmy, were out of danger.
Escalation of tensions and military deployment in Los Angeles
The protests, which began on Friday with just a few hundred demonstrators, escalated rapidly over the weekend. By Sunday, thousands of people had blocked the main highway, set autonomous vehicles on fire, and demanded an end to Trump's policies, particularly those related to immigration and policing.
Given the magnitude of the protests, Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, sparking criticism from Governor Gavin Newsom, who had not authorized the operation. This deployment is the second federal deployment without state consent since 1967.
Images of soldiers patrolling the streets of Los Angeles brought back memories for many citizens of scenes of repression experienced in past decades.
Trump demands a "firm hand" and attacks protesters
On social media, Trump responded by backing statements by Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell, who had said the protesters were acting with unusual aggression.
“The boss needs to make that change right now, so the bullies don’t get away with it,” Trump wrote, insisting that this was the way to “make America great again.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported on its social media platform X that nearly 1,500 undocumented immigrants have been apprehended so far this week in intensified operations, many of which have been concentrated in urban areas with a high presence of migrant communities. Authorities assert that these are actions targeting people with criminal records.
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