Read on Twitter
This has been a disturbing past few days for anyone interested in press freedom in the U.S.
Here's an early-morning thread to wrap up what I've been able to piece together so far (it's not good):
Here's an early-morning thread to wrap up what I've been able to piece together so far (it's not good):
On May 29, a CNN crew (led by @OmarJimenez) was arrested by Minnesota police live on air.
You can go watch the video yourself. There was no reason for it. And @MnDPS_MSP lied about the rationale afterward.
You can go watch the video yourself. There was no reason for it. And @MnDPS_MSP lied about the rationale afterward.
Later on May 29, police opened fire (with pepper balls) on a camera crew in Kentucky led by @KaitlinRustWAVE.
Once again, you can go watch the video. She and her camera crew were explicitly targeted.
Once again, you can go watch the video. She and her camera crew were explicitly targeted.
Next, Canadian journalist @OrmistonOnline was shot with a rubber bullet by police while covering riots in Minneapolis.
During her live hit, she claimed her crew was specifically targeted by police.
During her live hit, she claimed her crew was specifically targeted by police.
@phil_leblancSRC of Radio-Canada posted a video to Twitter of himself (and other journalists) being accosted by Minneapolis police while trying to do his job covering the riots.
@HuffPost said their journalist @letsgomathias was arrested while reporting in New York City.
@MikeGeorgeCBS posted a video of himself and his CBS crew being fired upon (apparently with rubber bullets/paint balls) by police in Minneapolis.
They also claim to have been targeted by police officers who knew they were members of the press.
They also claim to have been targeted by police officers who knew they were members of the press.
@MichaelAdams317 of VICE posted a video of himself being pepper sprayed by police while he was laying face down on the ground after repeatedly saying he was a member of the media and showing his press credentials.
@RyanFaircloth of the @StarTribune posted photos of himself bleeding after he claims a vehicle he was driving, alongside a colleague, had its window shot out by police firing rubber bullets/paint balls at them.
A @WCCO photojournalist posted a video of himself being fired at (likely with rubber bullets/paint balls/tear gas) and detained by police while attempting to document the riots.
Photojournalist @KillerMartinis is now apparently blind in one eye after being struck by a projectile fired by police while doing her job.
And @keithboykin of CNN reports being arrested in New York City while taking photos/videos of the demonstrations happening there.
This is what I've been able to piece together monitoring Twitter over the past few hours sitting in my living room in Canada. I'm sure I've missed stuff.
And needless to say, there are obviously other issues at play in this crisis that don't involve the media.
And needless to say, there are obviously other issues at play in this crisis that don't involve the media.
But for anyone who believes—as I do—that you can’t have a democratic society without a free press, this should be a concern.
Quite frankly, it's a scandal.
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Quite frankly, it's a scandal.
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