Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will address the National Press Club and will be asked about the LAPD shooting of an Australian journalist. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Anthony Albanese delivers an address to the National Press Club today (10 June). He will no doubt be asked during the Q&A following his speech about an Australian reporter being shot by police in Los Angeles while doing her job.
It is something the Prime Minister should himself be taking up with US President Donald Trump.
The Los Angeles Police Department and National Guard troops have been clashing with demonstrators protesting in LA over Mr Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The President, like any self-respecting dictator would, ordered the National Guard be sent in to sort things out.
The LAPD are firing rubber bullets at the crowd, and one hit Channel Nine’s Lauren Tomasi in the leg while she was reporting live to camera.
She wasn’t caught in crossfire; video footage shows a police officer taking aim directly at her and shooting.
A bystander can be heard yelling at the officer: “You just fucking shot the reporter!”
This is apparently what happens in today’s America.
It is as appalling as it is horrific, and the PM should be demanding some answers.
It will make for a tense face-to-face with the President at the G7 in a few days’ time when the pair are set to meet for a bilateral chat.
But this can’t wait until then.
Before that meeting, there has to be a very high-level phone conversation about this alarming incident. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued a statement.
“The Australian Consulate-General in Los Angeles is in contact with an Australian injured in protests, and stands ready to provide consular assistance if required,” it says.
“Australia supports media freedom and the protection of journalists. All journalists should be able to do their work safely,
“The Smartraveller travel advice for the US currently advises Australians to avoid areas where demonstrations and protests are occurring due to the ongoing potential for unrest and violence.
“Australians should monitor the media for information and updates, and follow the instructions of local authorities.”
The PM received some immediate and unsolicited advice on the matter from a number of politicians.
The Greens led the charge, with Senator Sarah Hanson-Young issuing a statement over the “simply shocking” and “completely unacceptable” incident.
“The Prime Minister must seek an urgent explanation from the US Administration,” she said.
“As Albanese is preparing for his first meeting with President Trump, the first thing he must tell the President is to stop shooting at our journalists.”
Fellow Greens Senator Nick McKim agreed when asked about it, and suggested that waiting before the G7 was too long.
“[The Australian Government needs to] make its displeasure at what happened abundantly clear,” he said.
“And it needs to happen now. We don’t need to wait.
“It should be done at the highest possible level.
“If the Prime Minister is not going to pick up the phone, the Minister for Foreign Affairs absolutely should.”
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, also asked about it during an ABC interview, has called for an investigation over the targeted shooting, although he blames the whole thing on the demonstrators.
“It looks like there was a targeting there. I’m always loath to jump to conclusions though when you just see part of the footage,” Senator Canavan said.
“What there should be is a detailed investigation of all these matters, and of course, the principal responsibility here for this mess has to be what can only be described as insurrectionists.”
Senator Canavan, a Trump loyalist, was also at pains to point out that the LAPD isn’t under the responsibility of the US President.
Yet whether it’s the LAPD, the National Guard or a traffic cop, officials with guns who have a certain type of disposition have become more emboldened under this Trump Administration.
Some feel they can do almost anything they want now, because the President has got their back.
After all, he’s been pardoning thugs and criminals jailed under the previous administration.
Democracy is crumbling in the United States, but democracy in Australia demands that our leaders make it undeniably clear that deliberately shooting a reporter doing their job requires someone to be held accountable.
