Vineeta Rao
Auckland, June 12, 2025
Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was live on air, covering anti-ICE demonstrations in Los Angeles when she was struck in the leg by a rubber bullet fired by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
Wearing visible press identification, her only “crime” was holding a microphone. Yet the footage shows an officer deliberately target and fire at her—an Iranian woman conducting her essential work—during a moment that should be defined by light, not violence.
Lauren took her encounter with the LAPD with stoicism and told her followers on social media that instead, she preferred to shine the light on the events unfolding in the American city and that she was back at work. “I am a bit sore, but I am okay. Important we keep on telling the stories that need to be told. Here is our report on what unfolded in Los Angeles.” she said.
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But what happened to her was not just an accident—it was a harsh reminder of the often-forgotten risks reporters face every time they step into conflict, protest, or disaster. Journalists like Tomasi step forward not to make trouble, but to shine a much needed spot light on an issue.
Whether in conflict zones or democratic cities, the frontline of the free press has become a place where bullets fly, rights blur, and accountability is met with hostility.
Journalists in the line of fire
Los Angeles is not a war torn region. At the risk of repeating myself, let me point out once again that the officer was not in any apparent danger, Lauren was wearing a press badge, she was not part of the protests and there was no overtly apparent reason to fire at her. Footage shows that he turned and specifically aimed his gun at her.
Sadly, this was not a one-off incident. In Los Angeles alone, more than 30 attacks on reporters have been documented since June 6. Many wore press badges, some were live on air—and still, law enforcement across cities have used tear gas, pepper balls, rubber bullets, and even arrest to silence them.
Social media has been inundated with first person accounts of graphic injuries after being hit by ‘less-lethal’ bullets. Despite the name, Less-lethal bullets can cause fatal injuries if they hit people in the neck or face. In fact, LAPD officers are instructed not to fire at certain parts of the body or from close range.
The LAPD armoury of less-lethal weapons include teargas, pepper pellets, pepper spray and flash bangs, which produce an ear-piercing bang and bright light. LAPD has also helpfully informed us that they do not use rubber bullets. Instead, they use foam rounds and bean-bag rounds, neither of which penetrate skin but can cause an impact hard enough to render an individual immobile.
Not one-off incidents
These incidents are not just anomalies—they are an alarming echo of what is happening in Gaza, Russia, Myanmar, Mexico, and beyond. Independent media outlets in authoritarian states are routinely shuttered, exiled, or worse. What we are seeing in democratic cities is not just misplaced crowd control—it is creeping acceptance of press intimidation.
When journalists are suppressed, accountability evaporates. Stories go untold, societies suffer. The police should not decide who counts as a journalist, but their actions increasingly suggest otherwise.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rightly condemned the incident as “not acceptable,” assuring that the matter will be raised with U.S. officials.
But condemnation is not enough. Systems must change. Media safety protocols, police training, legal protections—each must be strengthened, or live reporting becomes a life-threatening gamble.
Lauren Tomasi, though bruised, returned to work—a testament to journalistic resilience. But why should bravery be a requirement just to do your job?
To those who suppress the press with rubber bullets or silence with intimidation: we see you. To the journalists advancing into danger zones—whether in Los Angeles, Kyiv, Kabul, Moscow, or LA—know that your courage matters. Your reporting is indispensable. We owe you our protection, our gratitude, and our unwavering support.
Journalism is not a weapon. Truth-telling is not a threat. And no journalist should ever be shot for simply doing their job.
Vineeta Rao is an Indian Newslink Reporter based in Auckland
