BREAKING VIDEO- Police in Anaheim take my ‘I’ve never been shot at while reporting on U.S. soil’ virginity:
Police using less-lethal rounds fired on me while I was photographing an anti-police brutality protest in Anaheim, CA for my book. Protesters had gathered outside the Anaheim City Hall Tuesday night to protest police who shot and killed unarmed 25 year-old Manuel Diaz.
Right before the incident, I was standing on a well-lit, main drag, with my camera clearly in hand and with another journalist, Tim Pool. After yelling “shit”, I ducked for cover between two U-Haul trucks, where I remained for several minutes as projectiles whizzed by me on both sides. Although the rounds are called ‘less lethal’, riot control weapons have proven to be fatal resulting in multiple deaths overseas. Fearing an ankle strike, I emerged from my hiding space with my hands in the air yelling “press”. The firing ceased. One officer told me he was glad I was ok, “I was worried about you”, he said.
Its incidents like this that are causing press freedom in the U.S., according to Reporters Without Borders, to drop 27 ranks in the past year, leaving the U.S. now trailing behind El Salvador.
For more on the story please check out this link (although it erroneously states I was working for a local radio station at the time of shooting), the article sums up the night accurately:
Here are some photos I shot that night:
July 25, 2012
Keep up the good work girlfriend!!! I’m also spreading truth to as many as I can. I’ve always known to dig for my information and not believe everything projected by mainstream media. DO NOT GIVE UP. Keep going. It gets hard but we can all pull together and get this country aware of reality. Bless you for everything you do and stay safe <3 ~ Kylie
Can’t believe this was shot on American soil…. great journalism!
Thank you so much for your courage and integrity in speaking out for truth- all that’s REALLY going on in this country. It’s treasonous and people need to know and understand who our “leaders” really are and what they’re doing to the people of this country and around the world. Please keep your work going and hopefully many more will follow!!
Amber, I remember seeing you I believe on RTN reporting on what was happening in Anaheim when mainstream media was ignoring it. Be safe in all that you do.
My dad was a peace officer back in the 70′s/80′s/90′s; I come from a police family. Upholding the law used to be an honorable profession. Right now, I have to say I’m not wearing any kind of badge, and if tomorrow someone said put your uniform back on and report for duty, I would just have to refuse. I have seen abuses, corruption, and more than what I have time/space to mention here.
It’s not nearly as bad where I live as what is going on in California, but then again Ca. is a big gun control state and Indiana is not. The stuff Amber has reported on in Anaheim and elsewhere shows why our nation’s founders included the Second Amendment; to repel criminals and throw off tyranny.
These jackbooted thugs know that their military armor is necessary, considering how abusive they’ve been to the people they presumably swore to protect and serve. Now the motto seems to be “To punish and enslave”.
Soon they’re going to be patrolling in armored APC’s and using heavier hardware, because if they get any more heavy-handed, kill more unarmed innocent people just because they were there, then people are going to start arming themselves with heavy caliber sniper rifles and such, and fight back.
Next time a gang of jackboot cops opens fire indiscriminately into a crowd of women and children, I honestly won’t be shocked if a sniper returns fire and takes out the criminals with badges.
You know you’re living in a police state when otherwise peaceable citizens are forced to form up defensive militias to resist being slaughtered by the police state death squads. America has now become AMERIKA.
What concerns me deeply is an escalation of the police state in response to the increasing citizen resistance to tyranny. At every level, it seems very much like our government is about to openly declare war on its own citizens. Could we be nearing a Second American Revolution??
That is terrible, this makes me sick. Gary Johnson 2012.
Thanks for shining a light on this Amber. I live 30 minutes from Anaheim and find this deplorable.
Stay strong and keep up the good work!
I lived in Anaheim and have experienced first hand the corruption of the Anaheim Police Department. My husband was set up by 2 K-9 officers there and is in prison. They have the P.D.’s, D;A.’s and even the Judges on their side and there is nothing that we as citizens can do except watch out spouses, family and friends be sent to prison for years. The first 3 P.D.’s my husband had were aware of him being set up immediately upon seeing his case, but they were all mysteriously taken off his case and the 4th came in and our nightmare began. The 2 videos from the police cars disappeared, the search warrant disappeared, the evidentiary and evidence disappeared, the police did not show up in court 4 times, the D.A. stood up in court and said all evidence has been lost, he had a Marsden hearing and still was sentenced to 6 1/2 years. How does this happen in our country. Please go further with your investigation and expose these individuals for who they really are so no other families have to go through what we have been going through. It’s been almost 2 years and we still have another 15 months to go. People like us need people like you, please don’t stop.
“Anaheim PD fires on Journalists Amber Lyon and Tim Pool
Amber Lyon” ended up being a beneficial post. If only there was considerably more personal blogs like this amazing one on the
actual web. Regardless, thanks a lot for your personal time, Gabriel
Just letting you know the links to share aren’t working
Thank you, Amber.
If there are American laws suppressing the Press, then how about getting an international friend to broadcast it from their country
So much for protect and serve.