Police focused journalists overlaying the George Floyd protests

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Police focused journalists overlaying the George Floyd protests

On Saturday evening, photojournalist Linda Tirado was shot within the eye by a rubber bullet whereas overlaying an anti-police brutality protest


On Saturday evening, photojournalist Linda Tirado was shot within the eye by a rubber bullet whereas overlaying an anti-police brutality protest in Minneapolis — certainly one of greater than two dozen incidents of journalists experiencing violence whereas overlaying the current demonstrations.

Tirado says she’s completely blind in her left eye. (She is grateful she uses her right eye to take photographs, so the damage just isn’t career-ending.)

The Minneapolis Police Division and Mayor Jacob Frey’s workplace didn’t reply to requests for remark about Tirado’s damage.

Throughout the nation journalists have been targeted by police, dealing with arrest, detention and violence, together with being pepper sprayed and shot by rubber bullets. Journalists have been focused by police within the Ferguson protests in 2015 and throughout the civil rights period, and that sample of violence and arrests continued into this weekend’s protests.

“Focused assaults on journalists, media crews, and information organizations overlaying the demonstrations present an entire disregard for his or her important function in documenting problems with public curiosity and are an unacceptable try to intimidate them,” mentioned Carlos Martínez de la Serna, program director on the nonprofit advocacy group Committee to Shield Journalists, in a press release Saturday. “Authorities in cities throughout the U.S. have to instruct police to not goal journalists and guarantee they will report safely on the protests with out concern of damage or retaliation.”

Police shot at journalists with rubber bullets

A reporter and her digicam crew have been shot at by police in Louisville. Vox’s Alex Ward has extra detailed protection of the Louisville incident right here.

Ali Velshi and his MSNBC digicam crew have been shot at by Minneapolis police dwell on the air whereas overlaying a peaceable protest.

Canadian Broadcasting Company journalist Susan Ormiston was hit with rubber bullets and tear gasoline fired by Minneapolis police dwell on the air Saturday.

Two members of a Reuters TV digicam crew have been hit by rubber bullets in Minneapolis Saturday.

Reporter and photojournalist Sarah Belle Lin was hit within the thigh by a rubber bullet fired by police whereas overlaying protests in Oakland, California, Saturday night.

A person with a video digicam and a press helmet was filmed by CNN getting shot with rubber bullets by Minneapolis police Saturday.

CBS Information reporter Michael George reported that police in Minneapolis fired rubber bullets at his crew, placing sound engineer John Marschitz within the arm.

Police hit reporters with tear gasoline and pepper spray

LA Occasions reporter Molly Hennessy-Fiske reported that Minnesota State Patrol troopers fired tear gasoline at reporters and digicam crews in Minneapolis Saturday.

On Rodeo Drive in Santa Monica, California, an ABC7 reporter and his crew have been hit with tear gasoline Saturday.

A number of Detroit Free Press reporters have been pepper sprayed by Detroit police Saturday, together with one who held up a press badge whereas police focused him.

KSTP reporter Ryan Raiche was with a bunch of media in Minneapolis earlier than they have been tear gassed and pepper sprayed by police Saturday.

VICE Information correspondent Michael Adams reported that police raided a gasoline station the place a number of members of the press have been taking shelter. He mentioned police threw him to the bottom and pepper sprayed him.

Police threatened and arrested journalists

On Friday morning, CNN reporter Omar Jimenez and his crew have been arrested dwell on the air in Minneapolis. Vox’s Matthew Yglesias has extra detailed protection right here.

HuffPost reporter Christopher Mathias, who photographs present together with his press badge clearly seen to officers, was arrested whereas overlaying protests in Brooklyn Saturday night. He was later launched and in good situation, in response to a number of of his HuffPost colleagues.

Minneapolis-based reporter Madeleine Baran tweeted {that a} Minneapolis police officer pointed a weapon at her and didn’t decrease it when she recognized herself as a reporter. The incident prompted her to depart and cease reporting on the protest.

Journalist Simon Moya-Smith was pepper sprayed and arrested after being instructed “Roll in your facet, Mr. Journalist,” by a Minneapolis police officer Saturday.

CNN commentator Keith Boykin tweeted that he was arrested by NYPD Saturday.

Police weren’t the one folks focusing on journalists this weekend

Nevertheless it was sadly not simply police focusing on journalists over the weekend. Fox Information reporter Leland Vittert and his crew have been harassed, assaulted, and chased off the scene close to the White Home in Washington, DC, Friday. Their digicam was damaged within the course of.

A crowd surrounded, defaced, and smashed home windows at CNN’s Atlanta headquarters Friday, although it ought to be famous that there’s a police precinct headquarters contained in the CNN Heart.

CBS5 reporter Briana Whitney was grabbed by a person on dwell tv whereas reporting on protests exterior Phoenix police division headquarters.


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