An Australian journalist reporting on protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles was shot with a rubber bullet on Monday.
Caught live on camera, the footage shows Nine News US correspondent Lauren Tomasi speaking to a camera just before a US national guard troop takes aim at her and fires.
After being shot by the rubber bullet, Tomasi cries out and grabs her calf, with a bystander that can be heard in the background telling the officer: “You just fucking shot the reporter!”
As bystanders ask Tomasi if she is OK, she responds that she’s “good”.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a statement in response to the incident, declaring that “all journalists should be able to do their work safely”.
“Australia supports media freedom and the protection of journalists,” the statement said.
The protests in Los Angeles are a response to Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and his deployment of the national guard against the will of the state’s elected leaders.
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, and other Democratic governors have sharply criticised the move, describing it as an “alarming abuse of power”.
Thousands of people took to the city’s streets where it’s been reported that protests were mostly peaceful. The LAPD has used teargas and “less-lethal munitions” to disperse massive crowds.
In a statement to X, Tomasi wrote that she’s “a bit sore” but “okay” after being shot at.
“Important we keep telling the stories that need to be told,” she writes.
Hey there. Thanks for all your messages – I'm a bit sore, but I'm okay. Important we keep on telling the stories that need to be told. Here's our report on what unfolded in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/S8AvjQuFA7
— Lauren Tomasi (@LaurenTomasi) June 9, 2025
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to raise the incident with Trump, saying: “US authorities shooting an Australian journalist is simply shocking.”
“It is completely unacceptable and must be called out,” Hanson-Young said.
“The prime minister must seek an urgent explanation from the US administration. As Albanese is preparing for his first meeting with President Trump, the first thing he must tell the president is to stop shooting at our journalists.”
“Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of a strong, functioning democracy.”
Albanese will be attending the G7 summit in the US and Canada, where he will possibly have face-to-face talks with Trump.
A day after the incident with the Australian journalist being shot at, Albanese has said he plans to use an address to the National Press Club to argue distrust can be countered through economic stability and keeping election promises.
Tomasi wasn’t the first reporter to be shot with non-lethal rounds in the US, but she was the first to be caught on camera.
On Saturday, British photographer Nick Stern was wounded during the LA protests after being hit by a non-lethal bullet. Stern said he was covering the stand-off between protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when he was hit in the thigh and has since undergone emergency surgery.
According to Nine, Tomasi had been reporting on the same block where the LA field office for ICE is located, and the LAPD had issued an “unlawful assembly” notice for the area and earlier advised “media partners, please keep a safe distance from active operations”.
In a statement on the incident, Nine said: “Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events.”
“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests, underscoring the importance of their role in providing vital information.”