Latest news with #rubberbullets
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Photographer shot in face with rubber bullet at LA protest
Yesterday's rally was the largest of the protests that began in Los Angeles on June 6. (San Francisco Chronicle/AP pic) LOS ANGELES : An Agence France-Presse photographer was recovering today after he was shot in the face with a rubber bullet by law enforcement during their standoff with protesters in downtown Los Angeles. The photographer was covering demonstrations yesterday – part of the many rallies across the country against US President Donald Trump. He was struck twice by rubber bullets fired by authorities when they abruptly moved in to disperse protesters, and had to be treated in hospital for his injuries. 'I was covering the protest… approximately 90 feet away from the police when I received the impact of a rubber bullet in my face and another one in my right arm,' he recalled. The photographer, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was clearly identified as a journalist. 'I was working with two cameras, a helmet with AFP stickers on it and also, I had a big patch on my chest that said 'Press,'' he added. Los Angeles police department did not acknowledge firing at the photographer but said it had sought to clear protesters after declaring an unlawful assembly. 'Following the dispersal order, less-lethal munitions were used to clear the area of those who refused to comply and leave the area,' it told AFP in a statement. Los Angeles County sheriff's department (LASD), which also policed the protest, said it was reviewing footage of the incident but added it was 'not clear whether our personnel were involved'. 'The LASD does not condone any actions that intentionally target members of the press,' it said. Yesterday's rally was the largest of the protests that began in Los Angeles on June 6 and have continued daily ever since. They first erupted in anger at raids by immigration and customs enforcement (ICE), which has been ordered by the Trump administration to target undocumented migrants across the sprawling, heavily Latino city. The demonstrations have been mostly peaceful and confined to a small section of downtown Los Angeles. But at times they have spiralled into violence that Trump has pounced on to send 4,000 national guard and 700 marines into the city – a move loudly protested by local officials. Other journalists have also been injured during the protests. The Guardian newspaper reported that a British photographer had to undergo emergency surgery after he was shot in the leg by a non-lethal round on June 7. Meanwhile, an Australian reporter was hit in the leg by a rubber bullet while she was reporting on live television on June 8, an incident slammed by the country's prime minister as 'horrific'. And the New York Post said its photographer was shot in the head with a rubber bullet, also during the June 8 clashes.
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
AFP photographer injured by rubber bullet during protest standoff in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES, June 17 — An Agence France-Presse photographer was recovering yesterday after he was shot in the face with a rubber bullet by law enforcement during their standoff with protesters in downtown Los Angeles. The photographer was covering demonstrations on Saturday—part of the many rallies across the country against US President Donald Trump. He was struck twice by rubber bullets fired by authorities when they abruptly moved in to disperse protesters, and had to be treated in hospital for his injuries. 'I was covering the protest ... approximately 90 feet away from the police when I received the impact of a rubber bullet in my face and another one in my right arm,' he recalled. The photographer, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was clearly identified as a journalist. 'I was working with two cameras, a helmet with AFP stickers on it and also, I had a big patch on my chest that said 'Press,'' he added. Los Angeles Police Department did not acknowledge firing at the photographer but said it had sought to clear protesters after declaring an unlawful assembly. 'Following the dispersal order, less-lethal munitions were used to clear the area of those who refused to comply and leave the area,' it told AFP in a statement. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which also policed the protest, said it was reviewing footage of the incident but added it was 'not clear whether our personnel were involved.' 'The LASD does not condone any actions that intentionally target members of the press,' it said. Saturday's rally was the largest of the protests that began in Los Angeles on June 6 and have continued daily ever since. They first erupted in anger at raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which the Trump administration has ordered to target undocumented migrants across the sprawling, heavily Latino city. The demonstrations have been mostly peaceful and confined to a small section of downtown Los Angeles. But at times they have spiraled into violence that Trump has pounced on to send 4,000 National Guard and 700 Marines into the city—a move loudly protested by local officials. Other journalists have also been injured during the protests. The Guardian newspaper reported that a British photographer had to undergo emergency surgery after he was shot in the leg by a non-lethal round on June 7. Meanwhile, an Australian reporter was hit in the leg by a rubber bullet while she was reporting on live television on June 8, an incident slammed by the country's prime minister as 'horrific.' And the New York Post said its photographer was shot in the head with a rubber bullet, also during the June 8 clashes. — AFP
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE protester seriously injured by rubber bullet shot to the groin
A man who was out protesting against ICE raids in downtown Los Angeles this week spoke with KTLA after an officer's close-range shot to his groin with a rubber bullet severely bruised one of his testicles… and 'shattered' the other. 'It sucks to sit down,' the 33-year-old demonstrator, Martin Santoyo, said to start off the interview. Santoyo, who is now home from the hospital but still in recovery and can't walk, said the incident happened on Monday in the area of Temple Street, just after he got off his bicycle within the crowd of protesters and law enforcement. He noted that before this happened, he did not hear any officers declaring an 'unlawful gathering.' He told KTLA that he was grabbing a water bottle from his backpack when authorities started pushing forward toward the group. 'Then they start shouting, 'Move back!' But I'm still fixing up my backpack and my bike, and then they just pushed me,' recounted Santoyo. 'On instinct, I tell a cop, 'Don't push me, I'm already moving back.' And then the cop right next to him had a gun and just aimed and shot.' Santoyo said he would estimate that the officer who shot him was standing about two to three feet away from him, and shot him in the groin. 'After I got hit, I couldn't really walk– I was too much in shock, and then they're still pushing me,' said Santoyo. 'Some other protesters were trying to help me walk, but they're pushing them too, and everyone's shouting, 'Yo, he just got hit, let him breathe.' I needed to sit down for a bit, but they kept pushing.' Bystanders eventually helped Santoyo get medical attention, and he was ultimately taken to the hospital, where he had to undergo surgery for the injuries he sustained. 'I have a bruised left testicle and my right testicle was shattered,' Santoyo explained. 'They say that they somewhat fixed it, so it should have some function, but it's still very badly damaged.' Doctors did not have a time estimate for his recovery, but they told Santoyo to return in about five to eight days to be seen again, and then they will assess how he's doing and when he can return to work. As for the protests he participated in before his injury, Santoyo said he went to have his voice heard and speak out for others. 'I went for the people that can't, the people who are too scared to go. There are a lot of kids that I know who've lost their parents,' he said. However, despite his injuries, Santoyo said he planned to return to the protests on Sunday, whether he would be walking or not. 'The 14th is a big movement, so I might be there on a wheelchair,' he said. KTLA reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for more information on the incident; however, they could not confirm any details and only said that 'all incidents involving the deployment of less lethal munitions will be investigated.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
RNZ News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
What are rubber bullets? What other crowd control methods are used in the Los Angeles ICE protests?
Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while reporting on protests against US immigration enforcement in Los Angeles this week. Photo: Screengrab from 9News Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while reporting on protests against US immigration enforcement in Los Angeles this week. The Nine News journalist said she was "a bit sore but OK" after the incident. Firing rubber bullets is just one of the crowd control tactics being used by authorities at the demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Here's what we know about the methods authorities use to control crowds. The LAPD has launched an investigation after #9News U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi was hit with a rubber bullet during protests. MORE: The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) authorised officers to use what it calls "less lethal munitions" in the protests over the weekend. The word "munitions" can mean weapons but, in this context, it refers to ammunition - so, things like bullets. LAPD officers shoot rubber bullets at protesters in front of the City Hall in Los Angeles, California. Photo: AFP / APU GOMES According to Los Angeles police training documents, these include: These are the kind of ammunition people might call "rubber bullets". It's a projectile that's softer than a traditional metal bullet. And they're not fired from a rifle or a handgun. Instead, they're fired from what the Los Angeles police call "Less Lethal Launchers" in another set of training documents. That depends on the type of bullet being used. The Los Angeles police use the following "less lethal" bullets, which they call "rounds": The 37mm rounds look like mini hockey pucks. They weigh about 14 grams, with a height and diameter of 3.3 centimetres. They're made from rubber, according to the manufacturer. Before they're fired, the 40mm rounds look a bit like roll-on deodorant cans. These rounds are 6.7 centimetres high and 4 centimetres wide. They have a plastic body and a foam tip, according to the manufacturer, and weigh 30 grams. "Less lethal munitions may cause pain and discomfort," the LAPD wrote in a post on X. The severity of the pain and injury really depends on where a person is hit. Reuters spoke to Isaac Siova, who was hit by a rubber bullet at the protest in Los Angeles on Saturday. He was hit on the hip. "It didn't really hurt," he told Reuters about first being hit. But he said it started aching after about 20 minutes and showed a sizeable welt to journalists at the scene. Law enforcement fire less-lethal munitions at protesters during clashes outside the federal building in Los Angeles, California. Photo: ETIENNE LAURENT Tomasi, an Australian journalist for 9News, was shot in the leg from behind while filming a piece to camera. She said she was "a bit sore" but "OK" after being shot. Tomasi filed a report later that night, local time, standing in an empty street in Los Angeles. She wasn't the only journalist to be shot by a rubber bullet. British news photographer Nick Stern was covering the protests on Sunday when a three-inch "plastic bullet" tore into his thigh. Speaking with the BBC, Mr Stern said he was standing in the middle of the road when he was struck. "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. No - they're designed to cause pain. When using the 40mm round, officers are supposed to aim for around a person's belly button. They're prohibited from firing at a person's head, neck, chest, groin or kidneys, "due to potential for serious injuries", training documents say. Tear gas Tear gas is a chemical compound that can render people temporarily unable to function by irritating the eyes, nose, mouth and lungs. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that "riot agents" like tear gas can cause blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, skin burns, nausea and vomiting. It's usually fired in a canister. It is prohibited to use any form of tear gas in war under the Chemical Weapons Convention. However, police around the world use it during times of civil unrest. One of the more notable times US authorities used tear gas was during the 2020 demonstrations against police brutality, sparked by the killing of George Floyd. Flashbang grenades A flashbang is an explosive device that emits an extremely loud noise and bright lights to disorient people. They can cause temporary blindness and shifts in hearing, typically lasting a few seconds, according to a paper in the American Journal of Operations Research. US federal agents in tactical gear threw flashbang grenades to disperse an angry crowd near downtown LA on Friday as they conducted an immigration raid on a clothing wholesaler. Law enforcement clashes with demonstrators outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, MDC, in downtown Los Angeles, California. Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN Pepper balls Pepper balls are very similar to paintballs. But instead of paint, they are filled with an oily, organic resin called oleoresin capsicum (OC), which is derived from chillies - which are called peppers in the US. It's the same irritant used in pepper spray and comes in powder or liquid form. With a range of up to 99 metres, they break on impact and release an irritant that causes a person's eyes to water and nose to run, as well as inducing coughing. Police used pepper balls outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles on Monday after telling people to "clear the area" on a loudspeaker, CNN video showed. In some cases, pepper balls can be extremely dangerous. In 2004, American journalism student Victoria Snelgrove died after being shot in the eye with a pepper ball as Boston police sought to clear a crowd of revellers following the baseball World Series. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Victoria Police were forced to use a range of non-lethal weapons including pepper ball rounds and OC foam canisters to try and disperse crowds in Melbourne CBD. Batons Batons are essentially hand-held clubs. Police officers use batons for crowd control primarily as a less-lethal tool for defensive purposes, according to Amnesty International. Authorities could be seen swinging batons and striking members of the crowd in a video published by the New York Post. A demonstrator holding flowers walks past police officers as protesters clash with law enforcement in the streets surrounding the federal building during a protest following federal immigration operations in Los Angeles. Photo: AFP / RINGO CHIU Yes. These kinds of weapons used to be called "non-lethal incapacitating weapons" by the United Nations (UN) back in the 1990s. But it doesn't use the term "non-lethal" anymore, instead opting for the phrasing "less lethal". "This term is rarely used today … because it is accepted that such weapons are not non-lethal in practice - they can, and do, kill," the UN Office of Drugs and Crime says. - ABC
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
PM says journalist's shooting with rubber bullet raised with US; another embryo bungle at Monash IVF; and life behind a beauty counter
Welcome to Afternoon Update. The Los Angeles Police Department has responded to reports of media being hit with rubber bullets while covering protests in LA, saying 'we're very concerned about it and we're looking into that'. Nine's US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was hit with a rubber bullet on Monday and a British news photographer believed he was also likely hit over the weekend with a non-lethal round. Speaking at the National Press Club, Anthony Albanese described the footage, which appears to show an LAPD officer aiming in the direction of Tomasi, as 'horrific'. The prime minister said there was 'no ambiguity' that Tomasi was a reporter, and that the issue has been raised with the US administration. Monash IVF admits second bungled embryo implant, this time at Victorian clinic Erin Patterson denies lying about making herself vomit after fatal mushroom lunch New Zealand government sued over 'dangerously inadequate' emissions reduction plan RFK Jr to remove all members of CDC panel advising on US vaccines Public disorder breaks out in Northern Ireland town Ballymena after alleged sexual assault Israel preparing to deport Gaza aid boat activists, including Greta Thunberg Funk music pioneer Sly Stone has died aged 82. He leaves behind a career filled with influential, experimental and uplifting music that's soundtracked generations of dancefloors. 'If we have another three years like the last six years, the party will disappear.' Intense discussions are under way within the Liberal party about an alternative to the three-person administrative committee now in control of its New South Wales branch. Liberals who spoke to Guardian Australia take us inside the battle for the soul of the party in NSW. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The Climate Council issued the prediction on Tuesday, amid heightened demand for home batteries after the announcement of a $2.3bn federal government scheme to subsidise their purchase by 30% from July. Life outside work can be chaotic and grubby, but things are different behind the beauty counter: its strict code of conduct, its obsession with ritual and its insistence that perfection is possible between the hours of 10 and six. Perhaps you know someone with the same story as Chloe Elisabeth Wilson? Someone who went from casual employee to dedicated, dewy-skinned disciple. Today's starter word is: LIP. You have five goes to get the longest word, including the starter word. Play Wordiply. Enjoying the Afternoon Update? Then you'll love our Morning Mail newsletter. Sign up here to start the day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know, and complete your daily news roundup. And follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
