Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : In a moment that broadcast the escalating tensions in the U.S. capital to a global audience, Australian television reporter Lauren Tomasi and her camera operator, Amelia Brace, were assaulted by police during a live broadcast from Washington D.C. The Channel 7 news crew was covering the widespread protests that erupted following the death of George Floyd.
The incident occurred in Lafayette Square, directly across from the White House, as law enforcement agencies began an aggressive operation to clear the area of demonstrators. Despite the crew being clearly identifiable as media, footage captured them being forcefully pushed by officers with riot shields. Camera operator Amelia Brace was struck with a shield and Lauren Tomasi was hit in the neck and shoulder area by a rubber bullet fired by police.
U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi has been caught in the crossfire as the LAPD fired rubber bullets at protesters in the heart of Los Angeles. #9News
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) June 9, 2025
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Live on air, the journalists could be heard expressing their shock and pain as they scrambled to safety. "We've been fired at with rubber bullets," Tomasi reported, visibly shaken. "We've also got tear gas, it's just everywhere."
The footage of the assault quickly went viral, sparking an immediate and forceful diplomatic response. Australia's Prime Minister at the time, Scott Morrison, described the incident as "troubling" and formally requested that the Australian embassy launch an investigation. The U.S. Ambassador to Australia publicly expressed regret over the assault, underscoring the seriousness of the event.
This aggressive police action was later revealed to be part of a controversial operation to clear protesters from the square just before then-President Donald Trump walked across the park to St. John's Church for a photo opportunity.
The assault on the Australian news crew served as a stark and visible symbol of the dangers journalists faced while covering the civil unrest sweeping the United States. It ignited a global conversation about press freedom, police brutality, and the responsibility of law enforcement to distinguish between protesters and credentialed members of the media performing their duties. While the crew was not seriously injured, the event remains a defining moment of the volatile atmosphere that characterized that period in American history.
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