November 11, 2025 – Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles Police Department officials report that (LAPD) remains firmly committed to upholding the most vital principle of our democracy: the right to a free press and an informed public. Protections for members of the media during First Amendment assemblies constitute a vital component of our policies and training and are a critical focus in our crowd management, intervention, and control strategies. The LAPD’s policies and procedures are consistent with both state and federal law and have been modified since the protests in 2020 in a continued effort to improve the LAPD’s efficiency in crowd management, protect all peaceful demonstrators, and ensure their ability to demonstrate lawfully are preserved and protected.

However, when a peaceful demonstration is threatened by people intent on unlawful and violent behavior, the risk of harm to everyone involved increases substantially. In these moments, the LAPD must declare an unlawful assembly, and issue dispersal orders, to ensure the safety of the public and restore order.

Recently, a preliminary injunction was issued that negatively affected the LAPD’s ability to manage the complexities of unlawful assemblies and unruly crowds. These events are often volatile and can escalate rapidly. Individuals frequently carry dangerous weapons and use violent tactics to obstruct law enforcement operations. Amid these emotionally charged and hazardous conditions, our officers—trained to the highest standards—make every effort to identify duly authorized members of the media and support their constitutional right to report safely and freely.

The LAPD has several key concerns with the injunction, including:

• Ambiguity in defining “duly authorized” media personnel, which may allow individuals with ill intent who are not duly authorized media personnel to gain access to areas behind the officers’ skirmish lines, increasing the risk of interference and escalation and leaving officers vulnerable to physical assault.
• Restrictions on the use of less-lethal munitions and other crowd control tools, which are critical for de-escalating volatile situations. Without these tools, the LAPD’s ability to maintain safety and order during violent and unlawful incidents is significantly impaired.
• Uncertainty surrounding mutual aid operations, including the LAPD’s potential liability for actions taken by partnering agencies that may operate under different protocols and tactical guidelines.
• Setting an impossible standard for LAPD officers, and potentially holding the City in contempt and liable for financial sanctions for actions of LAPD officers that are lawful under both state and federal law, and appropriate for all other law enforcement agencies except the LAPD.

While we remain committed to fostering professional and respectful relationships with our media partners, and will comply with the injunction as required, its broad scope and ambiguous provisions may compromise officer safety, hinder effective crowd management, and negatively impact the wider community. For this reason, the LAPD fully supports the City Attorney’s efforts to correct the problems created by the injunction.

The LAPD remains committed to upholding the safety and constitutional rights of all Angelenos—residents, demonstrators, officers, and legitimate members of the press without exception.

Source: Los Angeles Police Department