US Law Enforcement Are Deliberately Targeting Journalists During George Floyd Protests

[erronis]

Source: Bellingcat

Bellingcat has identified and collected multiple instances of US law enforcement deliberately targeting journalists during the protests against the killing of George Floyd.

The arrest of a CNN crew in Minneapolis while broadcasting live on air on May 29th was a shocking event, especially in a country with such strong protections on freedom of speech. However as of the time of writing we have identified at least 29 separate incidents where journalists have been attacked by law enforcement.

This selection of incidents demonstrates that law enforcement across multiple cities, but especially in Minneapolis, are knowingly and deliberately targeting journalists with less lethal munitions, arrests and other forms of violence.

Considering the role of journalists to keep society informed about current events, as well as the strong constitutional protections of a free press in the United States, these actions by law enforcement represent an attack on the freedom of the press.



Read more: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/americas/2020/05/31/us-law-enforcement-are-deliberately-targeting-journalists-during-george-floyd-protests/

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Blatant attacks against the press.

I can't imagine what would happen if we didn't have available video and citizen recorders.

[beachbumbob]

1. trump made media the target years ago, the cops doing their thing now is nothing new, its just

worse

[Alacritous Crier]

3. I suspect....

there was a specific backchannel communication from AG Barr's "Justice" department inferring the media is part of the problem and should be targeted.

This is just too widespread to be coincidence or individual actions.

[beachbumbob]

4. common values run pretty consistent in law enforcement, they all view media as a problem

as it typically exposed wrong doing by cops

[lastlib]

5. The US Department of Justice is now...

the Bill Barr Department of Crony Protection.

[rzemanfl]

2. If we didn't have available video and citizen recorders

you would have the police riots of my youth. I'm 72, they are all engraved in my memory. Tear gas disperses people, it also makes them angry as hell.

[Igel]

7. Do do rocks.

They also make people angry as hell.

[rzemanfl]

11. Yeah, if anyone threw do do at me I would be angry as hell.

My experience with police riots back in the day was the tear gas preceded the rocks.

[malthaussen]

6. Disturbing trend. n/t

[Evergreen Emerald]

8. A police state

It did not occur to me that the police would support Trump and attack for him. He continues to destroy our democracy, and it is now evident that the police will be on his side as he continues to take down our institutions.

My daughter said yesterday that we should buy guns for protection. This is a terrifying thought.

[erronis]

10. Very scary - we need protection from the police and the self-proclaimed militias and the current US

government (such as it is embodied in barr, trump. [and bigly embodied.])

[Marthe48]

9. I have a safety pin on my purse

so people in trouble know I'm there. What do I wear to let the press know I support them?

I hope the police actions energize the press and they entirely turn against the impeached traitor and grind him into the dirt.

[erronis]

12. The entire "press" won't turn against these traitors. fux and others are part of the traitorous

cabal. Marching orders to the wh, the senate, the rw spewers are starting somewhere.

I didn't know about the safety-pin. Is that something that is large enough, visible enough that could be seen?

I'm imagining videotaping encounters would be the best help for the press right now. Being able to live-stream to somewhere not only recorded on your phone would be best. They can't confiscate video in the cloud - yet.

[progree]

13. Video - Louisville police appear to shoot pepper rounds at reporters (for shits and giggles)

https://news.yahoo.com/louisville-police-appear-shoot-pepper-030256161.html

[progree]

14. Video - WCCO Photojournalist Tom Aviles Arrested In South Minneapolis (for no reason)

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/05/30/wcco-photojournalist-tom-aviles-arrested-in-south-minneapolis/

WCCO’s award-winning veteran photographer Tom Aviles has been struck by a rubber bullet and taken into custody by the State Patrol Saturday night.

The arrest happened at Nicollet and Franklin at about 8:45 p.m.

During the arrest, they forced him onto the ground.

He was with veteran producer Joan Gilbertson, who is OK.

They both identified themselves clearly, that they were members of the local media, and WCCO journalists.

Joan told us the patrolman said, “You’ve been warned, or the same thing will happen to you. Or you’re next.”

Joan says she had her hands up and said, “Don’t shoot me, don’t shoot me.”

As of 10:45 p.m. Saturday, Aviles had been released from custody.

[Praek3]

15. Cops and Crooks-One and the Same

Of course they have turned on the press. The damn reporters and cameras capture the cops' criminal behavior. Wouldn't want that.

And what about reports that cops have taped over their body cameras? I can't remember which city this happened in. Anyone else know?