Freelance journalist Alexi Wood is facing a possible prison term of up to 60 years for charges including inciting to riot, conspiracy to riot and destruction of property. For his defense Wood is relying on his video tape of the event which he says shows him doing little more than expressing his awe at some of the destructive acts. Government critics fear that such prosecutions will discourage freelancers and small, independent news outlets from covering protest events. (techdirt, November 20, 2017, by Tim Cushing)
Alexandra Ellerberk of the Committee to Protect Journalists said of the charges against Wood, “Criminal laws should require criminal intent, and so if a journalist is covering the story, that does not constitute criminal intent. He wasn’t vandalizing property, and the charges against him are incredibly extreme.” (The New York Times, November 14, 2017, by Jaclyn Peiser)
Protesters broke windows, smashed ATMs burned a limousine parked on a street and tussled with riot police causing some officers injuries. Civil liberties groups have protested police tactics including the “kettled” move that ensnared Wood, where police trap a group in a confined area and make arrests. (Vice News, November 15, 2017, by Tess Owen)