This was the only gate left open at the Metropolitan Detention Center, guarded by agents in riot gear marked “Police DHS” and “Federal Agent Police.” Although no one entered or exited through it, the gate became the site where protesters were met with pepper spray, tear gas, flash grenades, and rubber bullets in Los Angeles, California, on June 6, 2025.
Non Lethal
Mykle Parker | CA, United States
Organization: Mykle Parker Photography
Photographer: Mykle Parker
Organization: Mykle Parker Photography
Exhibit Title: Non Lethal
Location: CA, United States
Non Lethal is a photographic and narrative series documenting the use of force by masked, unidentified individuals posing as federal agents to suppress democracy. Across multiple encounters, I witnessed and was assaulted while lawfully recording, capturing the deployment of “non-lethal” weapons — pepper spray, tear gas, flash grenades, rubber bullets — against journalists, immigrant communities, and bystanders. Though intended not to kill, these tactics leave lasting physical, emotional, and civic scars.
Through images and field documentation, the series reveals patterns of calculated intimidation and punishment, showing that visibility itself has become a risk. By pairing personal testimony with broader evidence, Non Lethal interrogates the language of force: when “non-lethal” justifies injury and fear, what is truly protected? The work challenges audiences to confront immediate violence and the deeper corrosion it inflicts on democracy, asking viewers to reflect on the fragility of rights and the human cost of witnessing.
I create work to witness, preserve, and confront forces that seek to silence. Non Lethal emerged from my own experiences being assaulted while lawfully recording, exposing the use of “non-lethal” force by masked individuals posing as federal agents. These encounters revealed how visibility itself has become a risk and how power is enforced through intimidation and harm.
Through photography and field documentation, I preserve the evidence of pepper spray, tear gas, flash grenades, rubber bullets, and other crowd-control tactics — creating a historical record of the human, emotional, and civic costs of these actions. My intent is not only to capture moments of confrontation but to archive them for future understanding, ensuring that these events are witnessed, remembered, and accountable.
By combining personal testimony with broader evidence, my work challenges viewers to reflect on civil liberties, consider the consequences of witnessing, and confront the corrosive impact of force on democracy itself.
DSLR Camera, 24-70 lens, and handheld Godox AD200 to shape light as I am running to cover events.
Photographers Without Borders
Mykle Parker
https://www.mykleparkerphotography.com/
Mykle@MykleParkerPhotography.com
IG @MykleParkerPhotography
Non Lethal is a photographic and narrative series documenting the use of force by masked, unidentified individuals posing as federal agents to suppress democracy. Across multiple encounters, I witnessed and was assaulted while lawfully recording, capturing the deployment of “non-lethal” weapons �" pepper spray, tear gas, flash grenades, rubber bullets �" against journalists, immigrant communities, and bystanders. Though intended not to kill, these tactics leave lasting physical, emotional, and civic scars.
Through images and field documentation, the series reveals patterns of calculated intimidation and punishment, showing that visibility itself has become a risk. By pairing personal testimony with broader evidence, Non Lethal interrogates the language of force: when “non-lethal” justifies injury and fear, what is truly protected? The work challenges audiences to confront immediate violence and the deeper corrosion it inflicts on democracy, asking viewers to reflect on the fragility of rights and the human cost of witnessing.
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