Reporter shoved, lunged at by police at LA protest

Ryanne Mena, a reporter for the Los Angeles Daily News, was pushed by one police officer and lunged at by another while covering a protest in Los Angeles, California, on March 28, 2026.

The protest followed a “No Kings” demonstration held earlier in the day in LA, one of thousands across the U.S. that organizers said drew more than 8 million people against Trump administration policies.

After the main march, people gathered outside downtown LA’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where immigrants are held, and the Roybal Federal Building, locations where many demonstrations have centered since sweeping immigration enforcement began in the city in June 2025.

Mena, who was wearing a press badge, told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker she was near the detention center when federal agents began deploying tear gas and chemical irritants. By the time she put on her safety goggles, the irritant had already seeped into her eyes.

“I was totally debilitated; it was really painful,” Mena said.

Later on, the LA Police Department started pushing protesters away. In one video Mena shared with the Tracker, officers are seen telling her to move.

“I’m a journalist; I don’t have to go,” Mena said.

“No, you’ve got to go,” an officer responded before pushing her.

“Don’t push me,” Mena said. “It’s literally the law. I can be here. I’m a journalist.”

Shortly after, as she moved toward the sidewalk to film from a different vantage point, another officer lunged at her with a baton. Video of the encounter was later posted to Instagram. In a separate video Mena shared with the Tracker, the same officer can be heard warning her not to follow too closely behind him.

Also that day, Mena and about a dozen other journalists were sequestered to a designated area while officers made arrests. News media were not allowed to get close enough to document the process.

“I couldn’t report an accurate number of arrests that evening. I couldn’t document how those arrests were taking place,” Mena said. “And that’s a pretty important part of the story.”

In a written statement shared April 2, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said that police were responding to acts of violence and vandalism and eventually issued a dispersal order. Anyone identifying as a “duly authorized” member of the media was contacted, verified and separated from those facing arrest for failure to disperse, according to the statement. McDonnell added that any use of force or allegations of mistreatment, including those involving media members, would be investigated and addressed.

“The LAPD recognizes the media’s right to cover events and makes reasonable efforts to accommodate, with those efforts consistent with our primary duty to maintain public safety and order,” the statement said.

Update: This story was revised to include a comment from the LAPD’s police chief.