An Australian TV reporter has been hit by a rubber bullet while covering the anti-immigration enforcement riots in Los Angeles.
This comes as the U.S. government has taken strong measures to address the escalating situation.
Lauren Tomasi, U.S. correspondent for Nine News, was hit in the leg when she was reporting on the violent demonstration.
Police officers were seen blocking the road to a federal building and using rubber bullets to control the crowd.
As Tomasi finished her reporting, an officer shot in the reporter’s direction, hitting her lower left calf.
How Did the Riot Break Out?
On June 6, a group of immigrant rights supporters gathered outside a federal building in downtown Los Angeles to protest the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) latest series of operations to crack down on illegal immigrants who have been identified as “dangerous criminals” in the city.
The protest then escalated when demonstrators attempted to storm the building, prompting federal staff to request assistance from local law enforcement.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) responded by declaring the protest “unlawful assembly” and deploying riot control measures, including tear gas, to disperse the protestors, resulting in clashes between the two sides.
Some violent protestors set fire to vehicles while others were seen waving the Mexican flag.
A protestor holds up a Mexican flag as burning cars line the street in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 08, 2025. Mario Tama/Getty Images
As the confrontation continued, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order to deploy National Guard troops on June 7.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons warned that protestors could face consequences for attacking law enforcement while refusing to give in to their demand.
“These violent rioters will be held accountable if they harm federal officers, and make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens,” Lyons said on June 7.
Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticised the deployment of the National Guard, saying that it was an overreach of federal authority and would escalate the tension.
Looters break into a gas station’s market place in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif., on June 8, 2025. Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images
Los Angeles has long been known as a “sanctuary city” for illegal immigrants in the United States.
