Injured After Being Struck by Rubber Bullet Fired by LA Police
As protests against immigration crackdowns continue in Los Angeles (LA), an incident occurred in which a journalist covering the scene was struck by a rubber bullet.
Lauren Tomasi, the US correspondent for Australian media outlet 9News, was hit by a rubber bullet fired by the LA police. 9News
Lauren Tomasi, the US correspondent for Australian media outlet 9News, was hit by a rubber bullet fired by the LA police. 9News
According to Australian media outlet 9News, on the third day of the protests, June 8 (local time), the outlet's US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was injured when she was hit in the leg by a rubber bullet fired by the LA police while covering the protest scene in LA.
In footage reported by 9News, Tomasi is seen in pain after being struck in the leg by a rubber bullet. At the time, Tomasi was speaking to the camera, saying, "After hours of standoff, the situation rapidly deteriorated, and the LA police are deploying mounted officers and firing rubber bullets at the protesters to push them into downtown LA."
Tomasi stated on her social media that she was "a little sore but okay."
Following the incident, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a statement saying, "All journalists must be able to work safely." Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young also condemned the attack on the journalist, calling it "completely shocking and unacceptable," and emphasized that "press freedom is at the core of a strong and properly functioning democracy."
In LA, protests against the Donald Trump administration's aggressive crackdown on undocumented immigrants have been ongoing since June 6. During these protests, journalists have repeatedly suffered various injuries. British photojournalist Nick Stern was seriously injured when he was struck in the thigh by what is believed to be a 'sponge round' fired by the police while covering a protest near Paramount.
According to the British media outlet The Times, on June 7, Stern was injured to the extent that his muscle was exposed and briefly lost consciousness immediately after being hit. Medical staff who treated him confirmed that an object about 40mm wide and 60mm long was lodged inside his thigh.
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