‘I can’t breathe’: CNN reporter gets hit with rubber bullets and tear gas on live TV during ICE protest in downtown Los Angeles

CNN reporter Veronica Miracle was hit with tear gas and a rubber bullet while reporting live from an ICE protest in downtown Los Angeles. She was in the middle of her live report when the crowd was suddenly covered in chemical irritants.

According to TMZ, Miracle got a face full of the gas and was also struck by what appeared to be a rubber bullet. Despite getting hit, she continued her report. It’s serious that reporters have to face physical attacks just to bring the news.

This incident happened as the legal situation got worse for former CNN host Don Lemon, who also covered an ICE protest. One reporter dealt with chemical weapons on the street while another faced federal charges in court for covering similar events.

The charges against Don Lemon raise serious press freedom concerns

Lemon appeared before a judge after federal agents arrested him on Thursday. The charges come from an incident on January 18, when Lemon entered a Minnesota church with a group of protesters who disrupted a service. The protesters said one of the pastors was an immigration enforcement official.

The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI arrested Lemon and three others, including local independent journalist Georgia Fort. She was released on Friday after her court appearance. Officials accused them of taking part in a “coordinated attack” on the church.

Lemon faces charges including “conspiracy to deprive rights” and “violation of the FACE Act.” The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances and Places of Religious Worship Act usually applies to demonstrations at abortion clinics, but it also bans blocking access to places of worship.

Federal agents arrested Lemon while he was in Los Angeles covering the Grammy Awards. He did not enter a plea in court. “Last night the DOJ sent a team of federal agents to arrest me in the middle of the night for something that I have been doing for the last 30 years and that is covering the news,” Lemon said after his release. “I will not be silenced.”

His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said “Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.” He called the charges “This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand.”

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries also criticized the Trump DOJ’s actions against the journalist. During the Minnesota protest, Lemon live-streamed on YouTube and told viewers he was there as a journalist, saying “We’re not part of the activists, but we’re here just reporting on them.”