A group of local journalists covering an anti-ICE protest in downtown Los Angeles were mobbed and assaulted Saturday night as demonstrations against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement turned violent, according to video footage and witness accounts.
🚨 Journalist Assaulted in LA Chaos
A masked man jump-kicked a female journalist in Los Angeles, knocking her to the ground as an angry crowd shouted, “Punch her! Punch her!”
The shocking attack happened during unrest, with the reporter surrounded by a hostile mob. pic.twitter.com/FfnOv7bXYi
— Xnews_with_Grok (@Xnews_with_grok) February 2, 2026
The unrest occurred outside the Federal Building and near the Metropolitan Detention Center during the second night of “ICE Out” protests, part of a nationwide push against ICE operations. Police declared an unlawful assembly and used tear gas, pepper balls and flash bangs to disperse crowds after agitators threw objects at officers.
Video from the scene shows a female photographer, believed to be affiliated with Traffic News Los Angeles, surrounded by masked protesters who shouted “get her!” and “punch her!” as she attempted to document the event. The woman yelled “Don’t touch me!” and “Get the f— away from me!” as agitators grabbed at her equipment. One protester threw a bottle at her, and another kicked her in the back, causing her to fall hard onto the sidewalk. She was later helped up by another person amid continued harassment.
Independent journalist Alexandra Datig, who filmed the assault from another angle, said the crowd then turned on her in what she described as witness intimidation. Datig, posting on X, called the attackers “domestic terrorists” and vowed to press charges, citing federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 1512.
I just submitted video evidence to LAPD about the incident below, where I was surrounded by a vicious mob, concerned for my own safety! What is critical to know for everyone sharing this story online is that what happened to me last night was not about being "a right-winger,"… https://t.co/flW9zZICf5 pic.twitter.com/tmPdjT7q9j
— Alexandra Datig | Front Page Index 🇺🇸 (@alexdatig) February 2, 2026
Datig, who has provided video evidence to the LAPD and plans to file a report with the FBI called the assaults totally unacceptable.
“Assaulting journalists is a crime and totally unacceptable,” she wrote. “These attacks on the media are despicable.”
A FOX11 News crew also faced aggression: Protesters surrounded the team, screamed obscenities, blocked their camera and appeared to cut the cameraman’s equipment cable. The crew’s van was damaged, with its passenger-side window smashed by a rock and covered in graffiti.
The Los Angeles Police Department reported about 50 arrests related to the weekend protests, including for failure to disperse and other offenses, though specific charges tied to the journalist assaults were not immediately detailed. Authorities described some participants as “violent agitators.”
While no serious injuries to the journalists were reported beyond the fall and physical harassment, the assaults have drawn condemnation as the intimidation interferes with press freedom. The incidents highlight escalating tensions around immigration enforcement protests, with journalists caught in confrontations while covering the events.
