WATCH: Rubber bullet fired at Australian reporter in LA during protest against immigration crackdown

An Australian journalist was injured while covering escalating anti-immigration protests in Los Angeles, as police clashed with demonstrators outside a federal detention center. Lauren Tomasi, a reporter for Nine News Australia, was struck by a rubber bullet fired by US law enforcement attempting to disperse the crowd.

Tomasi reported that tensions had been building for hours before officers arrived with mounted units and began firing rubber bullets to push back protesters. In a video that quickly circulated online, Tomasi can be seen clutching her leg and crying out in pain, while a bystander is heard shouting, “You shot a journalist!”

Nine News confirmed that both Tomasi and her cameraman were safe, but emphasized that the incident highlighted the risks journalists face when reporting from volatile environments.

The protests began following a wave of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across California, resulting in hundreds of arrests. Demonstrators gathered in downtown Los Angeles to denounce what they described as overly aggressive enforcement tactics.

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Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young condemned the incident as “simply shocking and unacceptable,” urging Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to seek a formal explanation from US authorities regarding the targeting of a foreign journalist.

Unrest in Los Angeles intensified on Sunday after former President Donald Trump authorised the deployment of nearly 2,000 National Guard troops to the city. Demonstrators flooded the streets in defiance of Trump’s hardline immigration policies, now a central focus of his re-election campaign.

California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the federal troop deployment as an "illegal overreach" and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the National Guard. “Everything was under control until Trump interfered,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “This is a blatant violation of state sovereignty.”

Trump, responding on Truth Social, criticised state and local leaders, saying, Governor Gavin Newscum and Mayor Bass should apoligise to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done. These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists. Remember, No MASKS" 

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As tensions escalated, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth placed 500 Marines on standby to safeguard federal buildings and personnel if needed.

Protests now entered their third day. Demonstrators blocked highways, set fire to vehicles, and clashed with police, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Dozens of arrests have been made, with officials claiming many detainees are undocumented immigrants and gang members.

The unrest followed Friday’s broad daylight ICE raids in Los Angeles, a city with a large Latino population. Critics argue the crackdown is fueling fear and unrest in immigrant communities and further polarising the country.