An LAPD officer assaulted photojournalist Nick Stern (foreground) after he held up his LA Press Club press pass (Screenshot taken from video by Tina Berg).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Los Angeles – A federal judge has ruled in favor of the Los Angeles Press Club (LAPC) and investigative reporting network Status Coup in their lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles for violating journalists’ rights. Los Angeles Police Department officers removed journalists from the area around immigration enforcement protests and shot them with “less-lethal munitions,” preventing them from documenting the protests and the LAPD’s response.
The court granted LAPC and Status Coup’s request for a preliminary injunction and issued an order protecting the right of journalists to cover protests without interference by LAPD. The order includes protection from being dispersed or shot at with “less-lethal munitions” by police.
The following can be attributed to Adam Rose, press rights chair of LAPC:
“There’s an old line in policing: We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. Press organizations have been trying to help LAPD for years take the easy way, just asking them to train officers and discipline offenders. They wouldn’t stop resisting. LAPD failed to police themselves. Now a judge is doing it for them.”
The following can be attributed to lead counsel Carol Sobel:
“Being a journalist in Los Angeles should not be akin to a combat zone assignment. The judge’s order is an important step in getting the LAPD to respect First Amendment rights. We intend to hold the LAPD accountable if they violate the order.”
The following can be attributed to Peter Bibring, who argued the injunction motion:
“Our democracy depends on a free press keeping the public informed. But journalists can’t do their jobs if police shoot them with rubber bullets, hit them with batons, or run them down with horses. The court’s injunction is a direct order that LAPD’s blatant violation of the First Amendment and California law has to stop.
The plaintiffs are represented by Carol Sobel and Weston Rowland of the Law Office of Carol Sobel; Susan Seager; the Law Office of Peter Bibring; the firm of Schonbrun, Seplow, Harris, Hoffman & Zeldes LLP; and the First Amendment Coalition.
Legal documents and more information about this case can be found here: https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/case/los-angeles-press-club-v-city-of-los-angeles/