Marines to arrive in LA as ABC camera operator hit by less lethal round during protests
Protests have continued for a fourth straight day in Los Angeles, with an ABC camera operator struck in the chest by a less lethal round in the latest in a string of incidents where members of the media have been hit by crowd-control munitions.
The demonstrations against US immigration enforcement continued on Monday, with the Trump administration ordering 700 additional US Marines into LA and intensifying raids on suspected undocumented migrants.
This escalation has fuelled more outrage from street protesters and Democratic leaders, who claimed US President Donald Trump was turning a "tense situation" into a "national crisis".
An ABC camera operator was filming a group of protesters pushing a large bin towards police in the Little Tokyo area, when officers opened fire with less lethal rounds.
He was struck in the chest with what may have been a rubber or foam round, but was wearing a Kevlar vest at the time.
He described the pain as "like being punched in the chest".
The ABC crew was also caught in the middle of a tear gassing earlier on Monday, as police attempted to disperse crowds around Little Tokyo.
North American correspondent Lauren Day said she heard "loud bangs" before the crowd "started running".
"I then felt the unmistakable burn of tear gas — first in my eyes, then in my nose, lips and throat," she said.
"It really stings your entire face and makes it difficult to breath, until the point you almost want to throw up."
The incident came a day after Lauren Tomasi, an Australian journalist for 9News, was shot from behind in the leg by a rubber bullet while filming a piece to camera.
She said she was "a bit sore" but "OK" after being shot.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident involving Tomasi as "horrific" and said he had spoken with the US administration.
"We don't find it acceptable that it occurred and we think that the role of the media is particularly important."
On Sunday, British news photographer Nick Stern was covering the protests when a three-inch "plastic bullet" tore into his thigh.
"I suddenly got this terrific pain on my leg," he told the BBC's Three Counties Radio.
"There was something hard sticking out of the back of my leg and then it was getting wet from blood."
The journalist has since undergone emergency surgery and is recovering at Long Beach Memorial Medical Centre.
The protests, which have continued into their fourth straight day, have so far resulted in a few dozen arrests and some property damage.
Officials said about 700 marines were expected to reach LA on Monday night or Tuesday morning, local time, as part of federal efforts to quell the street demonstrations.
Their mission is to protect federal personnel and property until a full contingent of 4,000 National Guard troops can reach LA.
The deployment has been condemned by state and local leaders, who did not request help.
It comes as US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged to increase operations to round up suspected immigration violators.
According to Homeland Security, 2,000 immigration offenders have been arrested per day in recent days.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass opposed the crackdown, telling MSNBC, "This is a city of immigrants."
Ms Noem countered: "They are not a city of immigrants. They're a city of criminals."
Trump officials have branded the protests as lawless and blamed state and local Democrats for permitting upheaval and protecting undocumented immigrants.
On Monday, local time, Mr Trump expressed support for the arrest of Gavin Newsom, California's Democratic governor, for resisting the federal crackdown.
It came as California sued the Trump administration to block its deployment of the National Guard and the marines, arguing it violated federal law and state sovereignty.
Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was "gravely troubled" by the deployment.
"The president is forcibly overriding the authority of the governor and mayor and using the military as a political weapon," he said.
Protests also sprang up in at least nine other US cities on Monday, including New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco, according to local news outlets.
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