US Police Have Attacked Journalists More Than 100 Times In Four Days

Photo: NBC journalist Ed Ou was hit by a projectile shot by police in Minneapolis.

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has logged more than 100 attacks on clearly-identifiable journalists by police in the last four days.

The high number of attacks, coupled with reporters' comments that the mood and actions of police are markedly different now than in the past (see below), stand as clear evidence these incidents are not accidents and not the work of random "bad apples". (Here is USPFT's Twitter page.)

This is a deliberate and widespread pattern. USPTF reported that from May 28-31, 2020:

—At least 19 reporters arrested.

—At least 36 journalists have reported being shot at by police with projectiles such as rubber bullets. 50% just in Minnesota.

—At least 76 reported assaults (physical and shot at). 80% by police.

Laura Hazard Owen's story on these incidents linked to Bellingcat senior investigator Nick Waters, who has documented 101 incidents (and counting) of police attacks on members of the media during the protests over the police murder of George Floyd last week. It is an stunning collection of video and statements.

During protests against police brutality, the US police are determined to provide more and more evidence of their brutality. And all across the country, police are unconcerned that they are being filmed shooting and gassing and beating journalists (and other citizens), all of whom have been doing nothing wrong.

Some of the attacks, like this one from May 31, have come in areas where there are no protesters at all and and the media were wearing proper credentials and had cameras out. ... In Denver, a photographer was pushed into a fire by a SWAT team member:

#BadCops #protests2020 #GeorgeFloydProtests
Video shows a photographer getting pushed into the fire by the Swat. pic.twitter.com/k8WVA8ixg9

— Ofdas23 (@ofdas23) June 1, 2020

Owen included several tweets from journalists on this disturbing new reality:

Jeremy Scahill, The Intercept:

Police forces have regularly attacked and arrested journalists at protests in this country. But often it has been unfamous journalists from non-corporate outlets, so no one paid attention to it. Now, the police are deliberately & consistently attacking corporate journalists too.

Maggie Haberman, New York Times:

I've never seen so many incidents with police and reporters simultaneously in different cities. Tension between cops and reporters is nothing new. Aggression on reporters in multiple locations nationally at same time is something different.

Radley Balko, Washington Post:

I researched countless protests for my first book. I've written about many since. I think it's safe to say that we've never seen the widespread, deliberate targeting of journalists by police that we've seen over the last few days. Something has changed.

Wesley Lowery, Washington Post:

This is the thing, to me, that feels different. This is the action where the police are crossing a line in terms of press freedom that they hadn't routinely cross[ed] before at 2014-2019 protests. Your "new" and "increasing" narratives are now accurate.