Outrage after Aussie journo shot at LA protest

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing calls to seek an “urgent explanation” from the Trump administration after Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot with a rubber bullet while covering protests in Los Angeles.

Footage that emerged on Monday shows the Nine News reporter being struck in the leg by a police-fired rubber bullet as she was delivering a live report amid chaotic scenes sparked by mass immigration arrests. The sound of sporadic gunfire can be heard as Tomasi stands in front of the camera before a police officer in the background raises a weapon and fires.

Tomasi cries out in pain, visibly shaken, before a protester yells at police, “You just f***in’ shot the reporter!” She quickly reassures those around her: “Yeah, I’m good. I’m good.”

Later, Tomasi posted on X that she was “safe and okay”.

The incident has drawn condemnation in Australia, with Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young describing it as “simply shocking” and demanding accountability. “It is completely unacceptable and must be called out,” she said. “The Prime Minister must seek an urgent explanation from the US administration.”

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Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles declined to comment directly on US immigration policy or law enforcement tactics under former president Donald Trump, but said he was relieved Tomasi was unharmed. “At the end of the day, how America operates its own immigration system is really a matter for the United States,” he told Sky News.

Nine News issued a statement confirming Tomasi and her camera operator would continue their coverage, despite the risks. “This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests,” the network said.

Tensions flared across Los Angeles on Monday after Trump ordered the National Guard into the city following sweeping immigration raids. Protesters blocked freeways and reportedly torched several self-driving cars. Law enforcement responded with tear gas, flash-bangs and rubber bullets, declaring the downtown area an unlawful assembly zone.

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National Guard troops have been stationed at federal buildings, as multiple demonstrations over immigration enforcement continue to erupt across the city.

Tomasi was not the only journalist injured. British photojournalist Nick Stern is reported to have undergone emergency surgery after suffering a serious leg wound during the clashes. Other reporters have reported harassment from both law enforcement and demonstrators.

The shooting has drawn comparisons to a 2020 incident when Channel Seven reporter Amelia Brace and cameraman Tim Myers were assaulted by US police while covering Black Lives Matter protests in Washington DC’s Lafayette Square. Brace later told the US Congress she was struck by non-lethal rounds and hit with a truncheon while Myers was shot in the neck with rubber bullets.

Images: 9News