Press freedom is under attack by law enforcement in Los Angeles and beyond | Opinion

“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Yet even these sacred words of law, long enshrined in the United States Constitution, have not stopped police, sheriffs and other law enforcement officers from assaulting, shooting at, and illegally detaining journalists since the Los Angeles protests against federal authorities began less than two weeks ago.

Journalists covering the protests in LA have been shot with rubber bullets and other projectiles, harassed and assaulted by law enforcement, and tear gassed and targeted in crowds, even while standing apart and obviously a member of the media.

Members of the press are protected not only by federal law but by state and local laws and have the right to execute their duties without fear, intimidation, or the threat of being detained. Law enforcement is behaving as if there are no repercussions for harassing, assaulting, or targeting journalists. And remember, this is happening in “liberal” Los Angeles and “blue” California.

According to a list of press rights incidents compiled by Adam Rose, press rights chair at the Los Angeles Press Club, there have been more than 80 verified incidents of harassment and assault by law enforcement officers toward journalists since June 6.

On June 6, Ryanne Mena with The LA Daily News and Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, a freelancer for the LA Daily Press, were in downtown Los Angeles when they were shot with pepper balls by officers from the Department of Homeland Security, leading to injury. Mena was again shot by DHS officers later that day with less-then-lethal ammunition in her head, and sustained a concussion.

On June 7, multiple TV stations in Los Angeles had set up their TV trucks apart from protesters when federal officers fired tear gas at the trucks and reporters, “seeming to target (the) media.”

On June 8, Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi with 9News Australia was clearly targeted and struck by an LAPD officer while live on air, creating an international incident.

On June 9, a photographer with Shutterstock, said she was standing across the street from a protester who was shooting fireworks at law enforcement. “Once they were done with that protester, about 10 seconds later, one of them fired at me with a 40mm, and hit me in the thigh. I was clearly identified as press with both press on my chest as well as my LAPD and LASD press passes on my neck …I had identified myself to the group of officers before walking out in front of them,” the woman told Rose. The same photographer was later struck with shrapnel from a flashbang.

On June 14, Matt Gutman, of ABC News, was live on air when a LAPD officer shoved him and began to scream in his face. Another LAPD officer assaulted Gutman from behind. Gutman bravely kept his cool and reminded officers the cameras were broadcasting live.

These assaults are just a handful of examples, but all document the dangerous abuse of power by the country’s over-militarized police forces, who are far too infrequently held accountable for their violations of law.

A troubling trend

While the rapid dissolution of American press rights has become blatantly obvious in the past few weeks, the issue has been a persistent one for groups that track such incidents.

Reporters Without Borders, an international group that focuses on safeguarding the right to freedom of information, has noted America’s “consistent slide on the Press Freedom Index” in recent years.

“After a century of gradual expansion of press rights in the United States, the country is experiencing its first significant and prolonged decline in press freedom in modern history, and Donald Trump’s return to the presidency is greatly exacerbating the situation,” wrote the non-profit organization on its website. The group reports there have been at least 40 attacks on journalists occurred in Los Angeles between June 6 and 12, and 35 of those attacks were by members of law enforcement.

Reporters Without Borders is calling on California Attorney General Rob Bonta to officially investigate, and has sought a temporary restraining order against state and local police from firing projectiles at members of the press.

“Violence against journalists covering the Los Angeles protests is out of control. Attorney General Rob Bonta needs to intervene now to get law enforcement officers to stop firing on reporters,” said Clayton Weimers, Executive Director of Reporters Without Borders USA.

“With at least 35 attacks on journalists so far by different law enforcement agencies, his office needs to investigate the violence and seek accountability. This level of aggression against journalists in LA is totally unacceptable.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists, the First Amendment Coalition and Freedom of the Press Foundation sent a letter of concern to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, in which they said “federal officers appear to have deliberately targeted journalists who were doing nothing more than their job covering the news.” Noem has not responded.

The Los Angeles Press Club is now suing the city of Los Angeles and its police chief, Jim McDonnell, over these alleged incidents.

“Being a journalist in Los Angeles is now a dangerous profession,” the press club wrote. “LAPD actions during the June 2025 protests in downtown Los Angeles reveal a brazen refusal to abide by the Constitution and state law and repeats the same conduct by the Defendant City repeatedly held to be unconstitutional by the federal courts for the past 25 years.”

The McClatchy California Editorial Boards shares the Los Angeles Press Club’s concerns, and supports them in their lawsuit. We also join the chorus of those calling for Attorney General Bonta to investigate these incidents and hold law enforcement accountable for any violations of law and the press’ constitutional rights.

Without the multitude of journalists reporting from Los Angeles in the past week and a half, many of the abuses by the government and law enforcement would have gone unseen and unheard. A free press is a vital and necessary component of a healthy democracy. Attacks on journalists are an attack on American democracy.

This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Press freedom is under attack by law enforcement in Los Angeles and beyond | Opinion."