Cases dropped against reporters arrested for covering protests
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Keith
Journalists have the right to cover protests and demonstrations.
Protests are one of the most dangerous places for journalists in America. Journalists are routinely prevented from gathering the news, illegally arrested, and attacked by law enforcement and demonstrators.
Journalists have a First Amendment right to cover public protests. Protecting and expanding that right ensures that the public can learn what’s happening at protests and how they are policed.
Featured Items
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Minnesota police shockingly arrest CNN reporter on live TV, hit other journalists with tear gas and rubber bullets
This morning, viewers watching CNN for coverage of the ongoing protests in Minneapolis instead witnessed an unbelievable curtailment of press freedom, as an entire film crew was arrested — on air — apparently without even being notified of the cause of their arrest.
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Trump opens reelection campaign week with escalating rhetoric against the media
The same week that President Donald Trump traveled to Orlando, Florida, to announce his bid for reelection, his escalating negative rhetoric against the media reached an all-time high.
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Canadian police block journalists from covering pipeline protest in British Columbia
The Royal Mounted Canadian Police are preventing journalists from covering members of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation’s opposition to the construction of a natural gas pipeline that would run through British Columbia.Members of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation—including the hereditary leaders—began running checkpoints that block access to the planned construction site …
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How new state legislation is making reporting on pipeline protests a felony
The ability of the press to cover pipeline protests is critical—but some states are passing legislation that drastically escalates penalties for journalists who do so.
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You can support antifa without justifying repeated physical attacks on journalists
Journalists need to be able to cover public events without fear of physical attack.
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Police are threatening free expression by abusing the law to punish disrespect of law enforcement
It’s not illegal to be disrespectful to police officers. But police officers are abusing their positions of power and co-opting hate crime laws to censor criticism and offensive language.
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The #J20 trials are about the future of the First Amendment
The government’s ongoing and aggressive prosecution of people arrested merely for their presence at a protest where crimes allegedly occurred is dangerous, and will have chilling effects on the future of dissent in the United States.
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34 arrests, 44 physical attacks, and more chilling numbers from the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker's first year
Counting 2017 press freedom violations in the United States.
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Prosecuting journalists who covered Inauguration Day protests endangers press freedom and the First Amendment
Two journalists still face charges and potentially decades in prison for covering Inauguration Day protests in Washington D.C. The continued prosecution of Aaron Cantú and Alexei Wood for doing their jobs is outrageous, and the U.S. Attorney should immediately drop its charges against these journalists.The Freedom of the Press …
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What happened during my arrest at Trump's inauguration
Journalist Evan Engel describes his arrest and night in jail for covering the inauguration protests in January.
