Incident details
- Date of incident
- June 7, 2025
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
- Targets
- Raúl Gutiérrez (KMEX-DT)
- Assailant
- Law enforcement
- Was the journalist targeted?
- Yes
Assault
Video journalist Raúl Gutiérrez of KMEX-DT retreats as federal police deploy crowd-control munitions during an immigration protest in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 7, 2025.
Raúl Gutiérrez, a video journalist for KMEX-DT, Univision’s Los Angeles affiliate, was targeted with crowd-control munitions while covering a protest in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 7, 2025.
The protest was part of a wave of demonstrations that began June 6, following a series of immigration raids across LA. Federal agents targeted worksites and locations where immigrant day laborers congregated, prompting widespread unrest.
As confrontations between protesters and law enforcement escalated, President Donald Trump deployed the California National Guard and later the U.S. Marines, despite opposition by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass.
In a video posted to the social platform Bluesky by L.A. Taco journalist Lexis-Olivier Ray, federal officers can be seen firing pepper balls as journalists — some clearly displaying press credentials — retreat. The Los Angeles Press Club later identified Gutiérrez and reporter Victor Cordero as the KMEX journalists seen in the clip. Gutiérrez did not respond to a request for comment.
In a statement to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, Univision News President Daniel Coronell said that the affected reporters were OK and continued to do their job despite the incident.
“We condemn any type of aggression against those who fulfill their duty to inform citizens,” Coronell added. “The authorities must protect journalistic work and guarantee access and safety in places of newsworthy locations.”
It’s unclear which federal agency was deploying the crowd-control munitions.
In a statement emailed to the Tracker, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin urged journalists to be cautious while covering what she characterized as “violent riots,” and added that President Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem “are committed to restoring law and order.”
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
