Photographer targeted with crowd-control munitions at protest near LA

Freelance photojournalist Mykle Parker and other journalists were shot at with tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bang grenades while covering an immigration protest in Paramount, California, on June 7, 2025.

The protest was one of many that began June 6 in response to federal raids in and around Los Angeles of workplaces and areas where immigrant day laborers gathered, amid the Trump administration’s larger immigration crackdown.

After an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid the next day at a Home Depot in Paramount, demonstrations began in the area. Parker told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that she arrived around sunset wearing a Zuma Press badge, an agency she regularly submits photos to.

Parker said she and about a dozen other journalists gathered near a brick wall by a roadway, where another journalist told her their presence was known to law enforcement. She said the LA County Sheriff’s Department moved into the area, positioning deputies behind barbed wire with armored vehicles. The deputies began firing projectiles at protesters on the other side of the fence and then progressively shifted fire toward where journalists were standing, Parker recounted.

Parker said she was not struck by a projectile but was pepper-sprayed and exposed to tear gas and flash-bang grenades as deputies continued firing. She said the chemical agents appeared to be used to block reporters from documenting the scene.

“They were really doing anything they could to intimidate us to stay down and not move,” said Parker.

She added that a helicopter was flying overhead and illuminating the area, making the journalists clearly visible.

“It’s not like they didn’t know or couldn’t have known we were over there,” Parker said.

As the firing continued, Parker said the journalists took cover, eventually crouching together against the brick wall. The sustained firing prompted her to call emergency services. She said the onslaught eventually stopped, and journalists shouted that they were press before moving away from the area.

Parker said the effects of the chemical agents lingered for days, including on her clothing, which she said was heavily saturated.

In a statement emailed to the Tracker on June 10, the Sheriff’s Department said it prioritizes maintaining access for credentialed media, “especially during emergencies and critical incidents.”

“The LASD does not condone any actions that intentionally target members of the press, and we continuously train our personnel to distinguish and respect the rights of clearly identified journalists in the field,” a public information officer wrote. “We remain open to working with all media organizations to improve communication, transparency, and safety for all parties during public safety operations.”