Protests have been ongoing in LA since Friday (June 6) after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers carried out raids in areas of the city with prominent Latino populations.
The raids are said to have increased since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, according to the BBC, as part of a pledge to crack down on illegal immigration.
US National Guard troops were called in over the weekend by Mr Trump in an attempt to stamp out protestors.
GMB correspondent hit by rubber bullet during LA protests
GMB’s North America correspondent Noel Phillips has been in LA reporting on the protests.
He appeared on GMB on Tuesday (June 10) morning and revealed that just 10 minutes before going on air the day before, he had been hit by a rubber bullet fired by local police.
Mr Phillips said he was lying on the ground speaking to some protestors when the incident occurred.
Whilst reporting on the LA riots yesterday morning, our Correspondent @noel_phillips was hit by a rubber bullet.
He talks to @susannareid100 and Richard about the unrest that has been unfolding in LA. pic.twitter.com/WeNylgxrFo
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 10, 2025
He recounted: “As I was lying on the floor, I felt as though an enormous ton of bricks had fallen on my arm.
“I realised, I think, within 20 to 30 seconds that a rubber bullet had grazed the top layer of my skin and had caused a bit of injury.
“My arm was swollen, I went to the doctors, got it checked out, it wasn’t broken at all, but it was swollen and still is swollen. It’s in bandage at the moment.”
GMB correspondent Noel Phillips said his sustained minor injuries after being hit by a rubber bullet in Los Angeles. (Image: ITV/Good Morning Britain) The GMB correspondent added the incident showed just how “unpredictable” things are in LA at the moment.
Mr Phillips said: “Police don’t appear to care whether you’re a journalist, whether you’re a resident, or a protester on the street.
“Their objective is to get people off (the streets).”
The reporter added that the rubber bullet could have caused “considerable damage” had it been fired at close range, but because it was fired from afar it only resulted in a minor injury.
Rubber bullets, tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls have all been used during the protests.
“No one should have to dodge rubber bullets” – Fans pass on well-wishes to GMB reporter
GMB fans toook to social media to pass on their well-wishes to Mr Phillips following news of the incident.
RECOMMENDED READING:
One viewer, writing on X (formerly Twitter), said: “That’s proper dangerous stuff, love. Hope Noel’s alright—no one should have to dodge rubber bullets just for doing their job.”
Another added: “Poor Noel. I hope he’s okay. It does raise the question how ethical it is of the bosses at ITV to place reporters in such dangerous situations.”
While a third person commented: “Hope he is ok?”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(471x244:473x246)/CNN-New-Years-Eve-with-Anderson-Cooper-123124-9952e5f00fc1425f87113ba2bfb97b29.jpg "Anderson Cooper Says He Once ‘Hated’ New Year’s Eve While Co-Hosting CNN Broadcast")
