As thousands of people once again took to the streets in Los Angeles on Sunday, there were not only clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement - several journalists also found themselves caught in the crossfire. One of the most striking incidents involved Australian television reporter Lauren Tomasi, who was hit by a so-called “non-lethal projectile” fired by police while she was live on air. Tomasi, a reporter for 9News Australia - a CNN affiliate - was broadcasting live from downtown Los Angeles when the situation escalated behind her. Police officers in riot gear, some on horseback, faced off against a group of demonstrators. Explosions rang out, smoke drifted through the street. Suddenly, a projectile struck the reporter - in the middle of her live report.
Footage of the incident shows Tomasi standing at the edge of an intersection, behind her a chaotic scene of protest and heavy police presence. Seconds later, she is hit. What remains is a sharp cut in the livestream - and the troubling question: how safe is journalistic work in a country that sees itself as a bastion of press freedom? Tomasi received medical attention after the incident but remained conscious. Her network later confirmed that she was not seriously injured, though the shock ran deep. It is not the first attack on members of the media in recent days - but the moment of her injury, broadcast live, went viral and became a symbol of an escalation in which even press credentials offer no protection.
The New York Times reported on Monday about further incidents involving injured journalists in Los Angeles. The context: President Donald Trump’s controversial deployment of more than 4,000 National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to support immigration raids had triggered a wave of protests - especially in the city’s Hispanic neighborhoods. The police response: tear gas, rubber bullets, nighttime arrests. And an increasingly aggressive stance toward any form of scrutiny - including from the media. On social networks, reports from journalists who were obstructed, threatened, or assaulted while working - despite wearing press identification - are multiplying. For many, the question arises whether the current operations signal a shift in strategy: away from de-escalation, toward deliberate intimidation - even against the public.
Lauren Tomasi is back in the studio, but her images are circling the globe. They don’t just show the clash between protesters and police. They also show what happens when the free word itself becomes a target.
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