By Georgie Hewson, ABC
The LAPD has launched an investigation after Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while reporting on protests against US immigration enforcement in Los Angeles on Monday.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had spoken with the Channel Nine reporter and that she was going "OK".
He labelled the footage "horrific" and said the government had spoken with the US administration about the incident.
"That was the footage of an Australian journalist doing what journalists do at their very best, at their very best, which is to go into an environment that' not comfortable, but where in LA, it is not unreasonable to think that she would not have been targeted with a rubber bullet.
"It is not unreasonable to think that she could go about the coverage, clearly as people can see in the footage, clearly identified as media.
"So we have already raised these issues 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."
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labelled the footage "horrific". Photo: Mike Bowers / AFP
According to Nine News, The LAPD told the New York Times it did not have "any comment or statement on any specific incident pertaining to the protests".
Firing rubber bullets is just one of the crowd control tactics being used by authorities at the demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
- ABC, additional reporting from Nine News
