<
https://theconversation.com/in-trumps-america-the-shooting-of-a-journalist-is-not-a-one-off-press-freedom-itself-is-under-attack-258578>
"The video of a Los Angeles police officer shooting a rubber bullet at
Channel
Nine reporter Lauren Tomasi is as shocking as it is revealing.
In her live broadcast, Tomasi is standing to the side of a rank of police in
riot gear. She describes the way they have begun firing rubber bullets to
disperse protesters angry with US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal
immigrants.
As Tomasi finishes her sentence, the camera pans to the left, just in time to
catch the officer raising his gun and firing a non-lethal round into her leg.
She said a day later she is sore, but otherwise OK.
Although a more thorough investigation might find mitigating circumstances,
from the video evidence, it is hard to dismiss the shot as “crossfire”. The
reporter and cameraman were off to one side of the police, clearly identified
and working legitimately.
The shooting is also not a one-off. Since the protests against Trump’s mass
deportations policy began three days ago, a reporter with the
LA Daily News
and a freelance journalist have been hit with pepper balls and tear gas.
British freelance photojournalist Nick Stern also had emergency surgery to
remove a three-inch plastic bullet from his leg.
In all, the Los Angeles Press Club has documented more than 30 incidents of
obstruction and attacks on journalists during the protests."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
