Four Journalists Injured By Law Enforcement During LA Anti-ICE Protest

A British photojournalist, an Australian television reporter, and two local freelance journalists were injured by law enforcement while covering violent protests in Los Angeles this past weekend, as tensions over federal immigration raids ignited confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement.

What began as peaceful demonstrations against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids escalated into chaos between June 6 and 8, leading to a disturbing pattern: journalists becoming collateral damage amid aggressive crowd-control tactics by police and federal agents.

Among the most serious incidents was the case of Nick Stern, a 60-year-old British freelance photojournalist who has contributed to Daily Mail, Newsweek, and The Times. According to The Guardian, Stern was struck by a 40 mm sponge round near his thigh while documenting protests in Paramount, a city in southeast Los Angeles County. He was wearing press identification.

"I've covered conflict zones and protests around the world," Stern told The Times (UK). "I never thought I'd be shot covering a protest in America—especially not while wearing a clearly marked PRESS vest."

Stern underwent emergency surgery at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and is recovering.

Injured during a live broadcast

Another high-profile injury came during a live broadcast. Lauren Tomasi, a correspondent for Australia's 9News, was hit by a rubber bullet in the leg during coverage of a protest in downtown Los Angeles on June 8. The moment was captured on air. As she was hit, bystanders could be heard yelling, "You just f****** shot the reporter!"

"That was one of the most shocking moments in my career," Tomasi later said on her Instagram story. "It hurts physically, but what hurts more is knowing how easily this could have been avoided."

The footage sparked global outrage and led to condemnation from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which has contacted U.S. officials about the incident.

Pepper balls and tear gas

Two more cases of media injuries were confirmed by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): Ryanne Mena, a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Daily News, was struck by pepper balls and exposed to tear gas near Pico-Union on June 7. Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, a well-known freelance videographer who frequently covers police activity and protests, also reported being hit by pepper balls and suffering from tear gas exposure in a separate incident.

None of the journalists were actively interfering with law enforcement operations. All were identified as press, either by clothing or verbal identification, at the time of their injuries.

This string of attacks on the press during public demonstrations echoes patterns seen during the 2020 George Floyd protests. "These are not isolated incidents," said Carlos Martínez de la Serna, Program Director at CPJ. "We're seeing a consistent failure to protect journalists, especially during times of civil unrest. It's unacceptable in a democracy."