On Sunday, June 8, in the middle of a live broadcast from downtown Los Angeles, Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi screamed. A rubber bullet had just hit her leg—fired by LAPD officers breaking up protests against federal ICE raids.
“I’m good,” she said, her voice tight with shock. The footage ran anyway.
Tomasi, a U.S. correspondent for 9 News Australia, was reporting from the heart of the protest zone when police on horseback began charging demonstrators and firing rubber bullets. She told viewers the situation had “rapidly deteriorated”—and then the bullet landed.
Her crew caught everything. And the clip, now posted on social media by 9 News, shows exactly what happens when law enforcement stops pretending to care who’s watching.
ICE Raids, National Guard Troops, and Mass Arrests Shake Los Angeles
The protests began Friday, June 6, in response to widespread ICE raids across California. Over the course of the weekend, at least 56 people were arrested in L.A., and 60 more, including minors, were arrested in San Francisco outside an Immigration Services building. Tensions only escalated when President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles—without the governor’s consent.
Paramount, a predominantly Latino neighborhood, became the epicenter of confrontation. Protesters clashed with ICE agents. Police used tear gas to clear crowds. And at least one Molotov cocktail was reportedly thrown. But amid the chaos, the image that stuck was Lauren Tomasi’s: stunned, limping, still holding a microphone.
See also: The Legal Loophole That Let Trump Send Troops Into California Without Newsom’s Consent
Press Passes Won’t Protect You
This isn’t a one-off.
In protest after protest, journalists—especially those covering police misconduct, immigration, or state violence—have become targets. From the George Floyd uprisings in 2020 to the current Gaza solidarity demonstrations, the message is clear: if you’re near the action, you’re not neutral. You’re in the way.
That matters, especially now. Because the federal government isn’t just deploying troops—it’s reframing protest itself as a form of insurrection. And in that logic, cameras are weapons. Truth-tellers are threats. And reporters? Collateral damage.
See also: Will Gavin Newsom Be Arrested? Trump Border Czar Issues Chilling Warning Amid LA Immigration Crisis
Silence From the LAPD, Outrage Everywhere Else
As of Monday morning, the LAPD has not issued a statement about the incident. 9 News has confirmed that Tomasi is recovering, but the clip has already circulated widely, drawing condemnation from press freedom organizations and viewers around the world.
The L.A. protests, triggered by Trump’s immigration crackdown, come at a time when civil disobedience is increasingly treated like warfare. And when reporters are getting shot on live TV—with no repercussions—it’s a sign that the state no longer cares who sees what it’s doing.
U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi has been caught in the crossfire as the LAPD fired rubber bullets at protesters in the heart of Los Angeles. #9News
LATEST: https://t.co/l5w7JxixxB pic.twitter.com/nvQ7m9TGLj
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) June 9, 2025
When the Press Is the Target
What happened to Lauren Tomasi isn’t rare. It’s a consequence.
A press pass, a live mic, a camera crew—none of that guarantees safety anymore. Not when the institutions tasked with “maintaining order” are escalating force in neighborhoods already bracing for military deployment.
The war on protest isn’t coming.
It’s here.
And it’s being livestreamed.
See also: Trump Just Reinstated the Travel Ban—Here’s Everything to Know About the 12 Countries Affected
