George Floyd death: Photojournalist blinded after police shoot rubber bullet at her during protests

A US-based photojournalist covering the protests in Minneapolis has been left permanently blind in one eye after police shot a rubber bullet at her face.

Linda Tirado, who was wearing protective goggles at the time, needed surgery after her eyeball burst when she was shot on Friday (local time).

But it luckily wasn't her "photography eye" that was damaged so it isn't "career-ending".

"I can still see flowers and sunsets, just maybe I won't be able to tell how far away they are," she wrote on Twitter.

"So I'm gonna keep reporting from Minneapolis until we figure out how to get me and my car home cause I can't drive anymore."

Tirado returned to capture the riots just hours after being discharged from hospital.

"I've been back at work for five hours now. My job is to witness and they only got my left eye. My right one is good to go."

She says some people used her injury as an argument the protests should stop, which she strongly disagreed with.

"It comes to my attention that some folks are using my injury to argue that people should stop protesting. F**k that, stay in the streets double for me, cause I can't. It was police who shot me, not protesters.

"It was protesters who got me to the hospital, who gave me medical supplies and acted as my eyes when I couldn't see past the blood and swelling. I am not your establishment's argument. And I am happy to tell you so directly."

She isn't the first journalist to be caught up in the riots. CNN journalist Omar Jimenez and three crew members were arrested live on television, and police gave no reason for his arrest. CNN's Atlanta headquarters were stormed just hours later by protestors who damaged the front of the building.

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