Police and protesters are attacking journalists and media crews covering demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd. There have been reports of attacks and arrests of journalists in Louisville, Kentucky, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump has also lashed out at the media tweeting a message that the media was “doing everything within their power to foment hatred and anarchy.” (USA Today, June 1 2020, by Lorenzo Reyes)
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is currently investigating reports of some 125 press freedom violations across the country. The violations included 20 arrests. Police have even ignored press credentials while hitting journalists with tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets. (Committee to Protect Journalists, June 1, 2020)
Among those journalists hit by rubber bullets were MSNBC’s Ali Velshi reporting from Minneapolis. CNN’s Keith Boykin in New York City reported that the NYPD arrested him while he was taking photos and video to put on Twitter. He ended up in a jail cell with 35 others with no social distancing or face masks. (The Hollywood Reporter, May 30, 2020, by Sharareh Drury and Cris Gardner of the Associated Press)