Latest news with #TobyCanham
New York Post
30-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary laws after anti-ICE riot
The Trump administration sued Los Angeles, its mayor and other top city officials Monday, claiming its sanctuary policy toward illegal migrants discriminates against federal law enforcement. The suit names embattled Mayor Karen Bass and the entire LA city council, including its president Marqueece Harris-Dawson, as defendants, claiming the city's policies thwart immigration authorities from enforcing federal law. 'Sanctuary City laws and policies are designed to deliberately impede federal immigration officers' ability to carry out their responsibilities in those jurisdictions,' the lawsuit reads in part. Advertisement 4 Anti-ICE protests in downtown Los Angeles. Toby Canham for NY Post 4 Members of the Police US Customs Border Protection pummel a man to the ground during an arrest at the Edward R. Roybal Center and Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles, June 10, 2025. Barbara Davidson/NYPost 'The Los Angeles Ordinance and other policies intentionally discriminate against the Federal Government by treating federal immigration authorities differently.' Attorney General Pam Bondi blasted Tinseltown in a statement. Advertisement 4 Anti-ICE protesters gather in downtown Los Angeles. Toby Canham for NY Post 'Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,' she said. 'Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level — it ends under President Trump.' 4 The National Guard was deployed after anti-ICE protesters se3t vehicles on fire. Toby Canham for NY Post The suit follows violent anti-ICE protests across downtown Los Angeles earlier this month, in which rioters attacked immigration authorities, burned cars in the streets, and vandalized and looted local businesses.
New York Post
24-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
House Judiciary Committee opens probe into CHIRLA's possible role in LA riots
The House Judiciary Committee is investigating whether an activist organization with ties to the Democratic Party that received nearly $1 million in grants under the Biden administration used the funds to foment the anti-ICE riots that ripped through Los Angeles earlier this month. In a letter obtained exclusively by The Post addressed to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the committee details the taxpayer-funded grants doled out to the group by the federal government between 2021 and 2023. 3 The riots kicked off June 8 after immigration authorities did a sweep in Los Angeles, netting around 150 arrests. Toby Canham for NY Post Advertisement 'This raises concerns that CHIRLA may be using federal funds to support violent criminal activity that impedes the enforcement of federal immigration law,' the letter states in reference to the funds, which ostensibly were paid out to support things like 'citizenship instruction and naturalization services' and 'innovations in citizenship education.' The letter is signed by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), as well as Reps. Tom McClintock (R-CA) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ), the chairmen of two subcommittees. The committee is requesting CHIRLA turn over 'all documents and communications' related to any federal funds the group received, as well as a detailed breakdown into how the funds were spent, including any supporting documentation. 3 More than 1,000 demonstrators took to the streets and clashed with federal agents and cops. Barbara Davidson/NYPost Advertisement It's also asking for an accounting of any financial contributions the group received or gave to any other non-governmental organizations between Jan. 20, 2021 and the present day, as well as any and all documents and communications 'referring or relating to protests against ICE, DHS, Customs and Border Protection, enforcement of immigration laws, or the Trump Administration's immigration policies,' dating from Jan. 20, 2025 to now. CHIRLA staged a rally as anti-ICE protests broke out in the city as federal authorities. The protests turned violent earlier this month after immigration agents hit a Home Depot in the LA suburb of Paramount — devolving into looting and assault on cops and federal agents. Advertisement Rioters defaced public buildings and torched cars in the streets. President Trump called in around 4,000 National Guard members and some 700 active-duty Marines to help quell the unrest. A CHIRLA spokesman previously said the group 'organized a press event on [June 5]' to protest the roundups and had 'been sending legal observers to immigration courts and detention centers on [June 6, 7 and 8] as part of the LA Rapid Response Network,' but denied being part of the protests beyond that. 'We have not participated, coordinated, or been part of the protests being registered in Los Angeles other than the press conference and rally cited above,' the rep said. Advertisement 3 Rioters looted businesses and burned cars in the streets. Toby Canham for NY Post According to financial records obtained by DataRepublican, CHIRLA received nearly $34 million in government grants, mostly from the state of California, in the fiscal year ending June 2023, a jump from the $12 million it received the previous year. The radical group also received around $450,000 in grants for 'citizenship education and training' between October 2021 and September 2024 from the DHS — the very agency the group was protesting earlier this month. However, under the Trump administration, the federal agency cut ties with the group and terminated any further funding in March, including clawing back nearly $101,000 that had yet to be paid out. Officials estimated the cost of the riots to LA taxpayers will exceed $30 million. The committee gave the group until July 8 to comply with its request. An email sent to CHIRLA's director of communications was not immediately returned.
New York Post
17-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
California Dems propose legislation to ban face masks for law enforcement officers — and not protesters or criminals
As Republicans have pushed for mask bans to crack down on shadowy protesters and criminals, a pair of Democratic lawmakers in California want to prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings following the federal crackdown on Los Angeles anti-ICE protests. State Sens. Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin, who represent San Francisco and Oakland, respectively, announced on social media that they would be introducing the 'No Secret Police Act' to ban most law enforcement members from covering their faces when interacting with the public. The bill would also require officers to display identifying information on their uniforms, like name tags on their helmets. Advertisement 4 Two Democratic lawmakers announced a bill that would ban law enforcement from wearing face coverings while interacting with the public. Toby Canham for NY Post 4 The legislation was dubbed the 'No Secret Police Act'. AFP via Getty Images 'We're seeing the rise of secret police — masked, no identifying info, even wearing army fatigues — grabbing & disappearing people. It's antithetical to democracy & harms communities. The No Secret Police Act can help end the fear & chaos this behavior creates in communities,' Wiener wrote on X. Advertisement 'The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror. If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state,' Wiener told The San Francisco Standard. The legislation wouldn't affect SWAT members and officers who need to wear medical masks during certain disasters, including wildfires that frequently rock the Golden State. Certain types of riot gear, like the ones donned by many cops handling the LA protests, would also still be permitted under the bill so long as the officer's face is still visible through the face covering. 4 Officials would still be permitted to wear certain masks during disasters, like gas or medical masks. Toby Canham for NY Post 4 Some states have also moved to ban criminals and protesters from wearing face coverings. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement In Los Angeles, protesters have come prepared to the demonstrations with their own face coverings, ranging from medical masks to protect against tear gas to keffiyehs, a traditional Palestinian scarf commonly worn during anti-Israel protests. Some of the masked protesters were photographed and filmed setting cars on fire or hurling items at officers. The coverings make it harder for cops to identify and track down the violent suspects. In New York City, calls for a mask ban on protesters increased after anti-Israel encampments spurred chaos on many college campuses in the city and across the United States. A NYC council member introduced a bill to forbid full-coverage ski masks from being worn in public. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, belabored on publicly advocating a mask ban statewide for months despite encouraging it behind closed doors. She eventually relented while trying to finalize the state budget in April and included a new law that tacks on an additional fine for anyone who wears a mask while committing a crime.
Japan Times
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Journalists among the injured in LA as ICE protests grow violent
Journalists have been among those injured during protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles in recent days, as police clashed with crowds of protesters and fired less-lethal munitions to disperse them. Since confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement first flared over the weekend, more than 30 cases of "police violence" against journalists while covering the protests have been reported, according to a database maintained by the Los Angeles Press Club. The press club includes physical violence as well as efforts to impair journalists' coverage, such as nonconsensual bag searches, in the category. It updates its database with reports from journalists and incidents reported on social media. Some of the incidents have resulted in injuries. Lauren Tomasi, U.S. correspondent for 9News Australia, was hit by a projectile while reporting live in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. Tomasi had her back to police and was speaking into the camera when an officer pointed a weapon toward her and fired it, according to a video of the incident. Toby Canham, a freelance photographer working for the New York Post, said he was struck by a projectile on Sunday, resulting in a bruised forehead. In an interview he said the projectile, which was "hard and rubbery," knocked him to the ground. The Post published an image shot by Canham showing a law enforcement official that he said had fired at him from about 100 yards (91 meters) away. Tomasi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Matt Stanton, CEO of 9News parent company Nine, in a statement called the incident "shocking' and emphasized the need for a formal investigation. A photo editor at the New York Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The press club said it was aware of 20 injuries to journalists during the LA protests, including at least five that required medical attention. It could not be independently confirmed whether Tomasi or Canham were targeted because they are journalists. In remarks to Australia's National Press Club on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tomasi was targeted as a journalist and that Australia has raised the issue with the Trump administration. An LAPD spokesperson did not confirm it had launched an investigation into the Tomasi incident, but highlighted a press release stating that its professional standards bureau "will be investigating allegations of excessive force and other issues related to LAPD actions during the protests.' It is unclear whether those allegations relate to Tomasi. Other journalists included in the database said they were tear-gassed alongside protesters, kept in a small area, or had their bags searched by law enforcement without their consent. Asked about the incidents involving journalists, a White House spokesperson highlighted the risks to law enforcement officers and the public. A member of the media reports from Los Angeles on June 9. | REUTERS "Whenever violent, left-wing rioters engage in lawless behavior, they put innocent bystanders at risk," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement. She added that Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass "refused to quell the violent riots" and are "directly responsible for putting civilians in harm's way." Spokespeople for Newsom and Bass did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bass, a Democrat, has said protests have been "largely peaceful", but there have also been incidents of protesters hurling projectiles at police, burning cars and looting. Inadequate training Adam Rose, the press club's press rights chair, said the volume of incidents involving members of the media over just four days is unprecedented in Los Angeles. The high frequency could reflect a number of factors, including inadequate training of both law enforcement and journalists, Rose said. Canham, the freelance photographer who was injured and who previously served in the British Army, described a scene in which people were throwing water bottles at law enforcement before an officer "deliberately aimed" at him. "My main point is, please positively ID a target before you shoot," he said. Since Los Angeles relies heavily on transportation by car, law enforcement officials have a large responsibility to move protesters out of the way to allow traffic to flow, said Katherine Jacobsen, the U.S., Canada and Caribbean program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists. The priority for moving traffic could create more opportunities for conflict between police and journalists, she said. Commentators on the right have taken to social media attacking coverage by some outlets, saying they were at times intentionally downplaying the protests. It was unclear if that criticism had any impact on the number of incidents involving journalists. Trump has said protesters have spit on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Saturday that ICE officers had been targeted in recent days and doxxed, the practice of publicizing private information for malicious reasons. George Floyd protests The LA protests are not the first time journalists covering U.S. civil unrest have suffered injuries, whether by accident or through deliberate attacks. The number of physical assaults on members of the media spiked in 2020, the year nationwide Black Lives Matter protests erupted after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, according to Press Freedom Tracker, which describes itself as a nonpartisan news website and database. In subsequent years, assaults on journalists have moderated, the Press Freedom Tracker shows. Before the recent unrest in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities, only a handful of such cases have been logged by the database this year.
New York Post
12-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
This is all the riot gear LA cops are using to break up anti-ICE protests amid ‘explosive escalation'
Los Angeles cops have fired hundreds of rounds of less-lethal ammunition, deployed tear gas and flash bangs to break up the anti-ICE protests that have raged for nearly a week across Southern California. More than 200 people were arrested on Tuesday night alone after Mayor Karen Bass instituted a curfew on Los Angeles. 'The most explosive escalation of tensions between demonstrators and police since the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 is currently unfolding in Los Angeles over Trump's 'mass deportation agenda,'' said Kieran Doyle, with Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a group that tracks civil unrest and wars. Advertisement 16 Police in riot gear in downtown Los Angeles during anti-ICE protests. Toby Canham for NY Post 16 A protester getting arrested by the California Highway Patrol in downtown LA on June 10, 2025. AP Here are some of the riot tools that cops are deploying across Los Angeles to stop rioters and control protests. Tear gas Advertisement Also called CS gas, for the active ingredient it uses, the has been deployed by both the LAPD and California Highway Patrol — in the form of hand-held canisters — to disperse hostile crowds. Tear gas is banned for use in warfare under the Geneva Protocol, but is commonly used for riot control by police. 16 Protesters running as police officers use tear gas and flash bangs at the Federal Building in Santa Ana on June 9, 2025. AP 16 A protester washing his eyes out with milk after getting hit with tear gas. eff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP Advertisement 16 A protester wiping her eyes after tear gas was deployed in LA on June 6, 2025. AP Impact rounds or baton rounds This 'less-lethal ammo' is fired from either a specialized launcher or a modified shotgun. These can cause blunt force injuries and lacerations. The LAPD fired off some 600 baton rounds over the weekend, using lighter rubberized foam projectiles in place of traditional rubber bullets, the WSJ reported. Advertisement 16 A police officer firing less lethal munitions at a protester in downtown LA on June 9, 2025. Photo by RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images 16 Bruises on a protester's torso after getting hit with 'less-lethal ammo' Photo by16 An officer holding a less lethal munition launcher outside the Edward Roybal Federal Building. Getty Images Many police departments started using these as a less dangerous alternative to rubber bullets, which caused serious injures, including in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Officers are often trained to aim these low so that they bounce off the ground, so as to avoid head injuries. However, New York Post photographer Toby Canham appears to have been shot with one of these rounds directly in the head while snapping images of a riot this week. 16 Cops under a bridge fire a baton round, which New York Post photographer Toby Canham. Toby Canham for NY Post Advertisement 16 Canham was hit by a less-lethal round during the latest unrest in LA. Louise Barnsley He captured an incredible image of the projectile coming straight at him before he was hit. The round left him with a massive wound on his forehead. Similarly, an Australian TV reporter appears to have been shot with one of these rounds live on the air. Pepper balls Authorities in LA have used pepper balls — a less-lethal projectile designed to burst on impact and release pepper spray for crowd control. Advertisement 16 An LA County Sheriff's deputy preparing to use a pepper ball gun during protests in Paramount on June 7, 2025. 16 Police officers firing pepper spray balls at protesters at the Los Angeles Federal Building entrance on June 6, 2025. REUTERS These chemicals can cause a burning sensation to exposed skin, coughing and gagging, and watering and closing off the eyes. These are fired from weapons that look like paintballs guns. Batons Advertisement 16 Police are using different tactics and weapons to try and manage the latest protests. Toby Canham for NY Post 16 A Los Angeles Metro Police officer preparing to swing a baton on June 8, 2025. REUTERS 16 A press photographer wounded during a protest in Compton, LA over the weekend. AP The LAPD and California Highway Patrol have used batons made of either wood, metal or polycarbonate to strike demonstrators. Advertisement Night sticks are among the oldest tools in law enforcement when it comes to crowd control and making arrests of hostile people. 16 A flash bang canister seen on the ground in downtown LA on June 9, 2025. REUTERS Flash bangs (stun grenades) Used by both the military and the police, flash bangs explode with both a blinding flash and a deafening boom. The aim is to disorient targets.
