Adam Rose
@adamrose.bsky.social
8.7K followers 340 following 1.1K posts
✒️ Deputy Director of Advocacy @freedom.press 💽 Fellow and former COO of Starling Lab (Stanford+USC) 🌴 Board of Directors @lapressclub.bsky.social
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
adamrose.bsky.social
I made a DRAFT field guide to help journalists (or anyone) navigate police + protests in Los Angeles. ~80% done. Slides all illustrated w/photos:

👮 Agencies & Uniforms
🔫 Firearms & Devices
🎯 Munitions
🦺 PPE
🏥 Injuries

Sharing this as rough draft b/c feedback VERY welcome!

(Note: Google Slides.)
LA Protest Visual Field Guide: How to identify police and “less lethal” munitions
LA Protest Visual Field Guide How to identify police and “less lethal” munitions An overview of law enforcement agencies commonly operating around Los Angeles and their use of so-called “less lethal” ...
docs.google.com
adamrose.bsky.social
adamrose.bsky.social
Let’s see the video.

DHS also just claimed in appeal of LA Press Club’s lawsuit that a reporter “shot” an officer. I suspect false statement to court. Not only does “victim” officer’s report not say he was shot, the alleged reporter doesn’t exist in dozens of videos I reviewed from scene. 🤔
cjciaramella.bsky.social
UPDATE: In emailed statement to me / @reason.com, DHS alleges that WGN-TV producer Debbie Brockman "threw objects at Border Patrol’s car and she was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer."
Reposted by Adam Rose
gwensnyder.bsky.social
New Orwellianism just dropped
premthakker.bsky.social
Huh: TikTok took down my 8-second video featuring this image of Debbie Brockman — the news producer just detained by Trump’s CBP agents — saying it violates the “joy of TikTok”
adamrose.bsky.social
Let’s see the video.

DHS also just claimed in appeal of LA Press Club’s lawsuit that a reporter “shot” an officer. I suspect false statement to court. Not only does “victim” officer’s report not say he was shot, the alleged reporter doesn’t exist in dozens of videos I reviewed from scene. 🤔
cjciaramella.bsky.social
UPDATE: In emailed statement to me / @reason.com, DHS alleges that WGN-TV producer Debbie Brockman "threw objects at Border Patrol’s car and she was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer."
Screencap of email from DHS public affairs: Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin:

 

“U.S. Border Patrol was conducting immigration enforcement operations and when several violent agitators used their vehicles to block in agents in an effort to impede and assault federal officers. In fear of public safety and of law enforcement, officers used their service vehicle to strike a suspect’s vehicle and create an opening. As agents were driving, Deborah Brockman, a U.S. citizen, threw objects at Border Patrol’s car and she was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer. 

 

“This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of illegal aliens violently resisting arrest and agitators and criminals ramming cars into our law enforcement officers. These attacks highlight the dangers our law enforcement officers face daily—all while receiving no pay thanks to the Democrats’ government shutdown.”
adamrose.bsky.social
I used to live 3 blocks from the heart of skid row in DTLA. It was fine. Super close to Little Tokyo, which is lovely.
adamrose.bsky.social
Just landed (still on plane!) after three days in San Francisco.

I stayed in the Tenderloin, most infamous crime ridden part of town.

Walked around a LOT. Alone. At night.

I was fine.

Felt safer than I remember, just a lot of stores closed.

What’s a billionaire with armed security so afraid of?
Reposted by Adam Rose
freedom.press
The FAA's drone flight ban in the Chicago area allows ICE to "take their militarization techniques to the sky," FPF's @adamrose.bsky.social told the @theguardian.com.

"They’re trying to keep the enemy out of the sky, the enemy being anyone who is observing them."
US immigration enforcement using military hardware and tactics on civilians
Agencies like Ice are way ahead of Donald Trump, who wants the military to treat cities like ‘training grounds’
www.theguardian.com
adamrose.bsky.social
From outside, appears LAPD fired their PR person for... doing her job?

(Irony: I'm quoted criticizing her for NOT doing her job in past. Which was a real problem!)

The alleged "leak" sounds like coordinating media access for a press conference. That what they're supposed to do. And ... gone!

Hmm.
LAPD spokesperson resigns after U.S. attorney complains about alleged leak, sources say
Jennifer Forkish, the LAPD’s public information director, said she resigned Thursday. Sources familiar with her ouster said the acting U.S. attorney contacted LAPD leaders alleging a suspected leak fr...
www.latimes.com
adamrose.bsky.social
Excellent piece by @dwallacewells.bsky.social on increasing state violence and the haunting anonymity of masked ICE agents.

I'm quoted in here a couple times, in particular calling out government counter-arguments ("filming is violence") as Orwellian.
dwallacewells.bsky.social
ICE has been pulling guns on civilians, spraying tear gas in the face of protestors who film them, shooting priests with pepper spray and pellets—and, increasingly it seems, targeting journalists and others trying to document their activities. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
Opinion | ‘ICE Goes Masked for a Single Reason’
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Adam Rose
freedom.press
Journalist Mario Guevara was deported because the American government punishes reporters to protect its own power.

“There’s no real crime here. It’s just pretext,” FPF's @adamrose.bsky.social told @dwallacewells.bsky.social.
Opinion | ‘ICE Goes Masked for a Single Reason’
www.nytimes.com
adamrose.bsky.social
Thank you for this coverage! Greatly appreciated!
adamrose.bsky.social
It’s literally a journalist’s job to be at protests. If journalists are protesters, cops are protesters. Stupid argument.

Journalists do yell “I’m press!”

Press may yell expletives, but usually only after being shot by police. Which is allowable. It makes them human. Doesn’t make them a protester.
djbyrnes1.bsky.social
Some dispute over journalists "shouting" at protests.

Plaintiff attys bring up a journalist shouting "don't shoot," rather than shouting protest chants.

Govt. atty brings up the issue of presence.

"From our point of view, being at a protest can be construed" as protest activity, he says.
adamrose.bsky.social
Dispersal orders are often impossible to hear at protests.

Even when law enforcement sends officer “to the back” so they can say they heard it, often people in crowd can’t.

It may be louder in the crowd, and it may also be that sound bounces and moves as a wave.

The need visual cues.
djbyrnes1.bsky.social
More discussion now over language surrounding dispersal orders; how many need to be given, and how agents can respond to refusals.

Plaintiff atty says there's a concern over "demonstrator[s] being dealt with... removed from the protest, and rarely being charged," contra their constitutional rights.
adamrose.bsky.social
Journalist hate this one simple acronym!
adamrose.bsky.social
I also often see photos of DHS officers with stinger grenades, little black orbs thrown by hand. Those are apparently controversial even in law enforcement circles due to safety concerns. Many so-called “less lethal” munitions are really more like “potentially fatal maiming” munitions.
adamrose.bsky.social
I should add that pepper balls have their own special launcher, looks a lot like a paintball gun and same general idea.

I’m posting on a flight so may be slow to add more, but hit me up with any questions on LLMs!
adamrose.bsky.social
Typically they use 40mm launchers and 37mm launchers. The 40mm shoots foam rounds (blue tips) and sometimes flash bangs, and the 37mm shoots foam batons (a set of 5 black donuts from a single canister). Both may shoot chemical grenades but usually that’s 40mm. Some munitions can also be thrown.
adamrose.bsky.social
That qualifier could be important. This is potentially an extremely troubling development that law enforcement would invariably abuse in unconstitutional ways if given any opportunity.
Reposted by Adam Rose
seth-stern.bsky.social
It's great that this TRO will issue. The lawyers and plaintiffs deserve tons of credit for making this happen.

But why is Judge Ellis walking back the position of the DOJ and at least one federal appellate court that journalists can't be dispersed at protests?
Reposted by Adam Rose
djbyrnes1.bsky.social
Back in federal judge Sara Ellis' courtroom in Chicago for a second day of discussion on a proposed restraining order to rein in federal immigration agents' violent behavior.

Debate began on this issue on Monday, and ended without the court entering a formal order.
djbyrnes1.bsky.social
@unraveledpress.com & other press have been threatened, shot with less-lethals and arrested while reporting on federal immigration activities in Chicagoland and on the resulting protests at Broadview.

I'm now at a hearing asking the federal court to rein ICE & co in. I'll let you know how it goes.
unraveledpress.com
Well, yeah, we're suing ICE.

This wasn't really a hard decision. As little faith as we have in institutions, we recognize the value of drawing visible lines in the sand. We drew ours personally a while ago, but better late than never.

May every protester be freed and may this occupation end.
adamrose.bsky.social
"The media" isn't without sin (nor is it a monolith).

I think of Diana when DHS whines how ICE agents are afraid of being "doxxed."

Burly macho actors with guns, violently assaulting innocent people on govt behalf?

They couldn't handle 1% of what this girl went through.

SHE deserved none of it.
When the media chased Princess Diana to her death, it was forced to look in the mirror - Poynter
Princess Diana’s death was not only a moment of tremendous grief for those who loved and admired her. It was also a reckoning for the press.
www.poynter.org
adamrose.bsky.social
Interesting! Do you know if the grenades made to fire from launchers work the same way, or do they have pre-drilled holes? And same question about triple-chasers. (I thought those were all drilled on bottom or between segments, but realizing now maybe not.)
adamrose.bsky.social
Yes! Sold here, says for indoor but can be used for crowd control: www.defense-technology.com/product/flam...

But I'm wondering how the hole is made. Seen here too, so not unique to this incident: www.chemicalweaponsresearch.com/munitions/dt...
Flameless Tri-Chamber CS Grenade | Chemical Weapons Research Center
www.chemicalweaponsresearch.com