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- LAPD can't use less-lethal weapons against journalists covering protests, judge orders</p>
<p>BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY July 15, 2025 at 9:49 PM</p>
<p>A federal judge issued a two-week restraining order barring the Los Angeles Police Department from using less-lethal munitions against journalists not posing a threat to law enforcement while covering protests over immigration raids in the city.</p>
<p>The July 10 order came less than a month after the First Amendment Coalition filed a lawsuit against the department on behalf of the Los Angeles Press Club and the independent media outlet Status Coup in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.</p>
<p>The order upholds the "critical role that journalists serve in Los Angeles," Adam Rose, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Press Club, said on July 11.</p>
<p>"It also affirms what we've been telling LAPD for years: they're not following the law," Rose said.</p>
<p>The order said the department cannot use less-lethal munitions or other crowd-control measures against journalists who "are not posing a threat of imminent harm to an officer or another person."</p>
<p>USA TODAY reached out to the LAPD for comment.</p>
<p>The order also said the department was enjoined, or prohibited, from:</p>
<p>"Prohibiting a journalist from entering or remaining in the closed areas."</p>
<p>"Intentionally assaulting, interfering with or obstructing any journalist who is gathering, receiving or processing information for communication to the public – including by restricting journalists to areas from which they do not have sufficient opportunity to observe and report on protests, including the interaction between police and protesters."</p>
<p>"Citing, detaining or arresting a journalist who is in a closed area for failure to disperse, curfew violation or obstruction of a law enforcement officer for gathering, receiving or processing information."</p>
<p>A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for July 24.</p>
<p>BrieAnna Frank is a First Amendment Reporting Fellow at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected].</p>
<p>USA TODAY's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.</p>
<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LAPD can't use less-lethal weapons against journalists, judge orders</p>
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