More than two dozen journalists were injured or roughened to cover the protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles, which led the press groups to ask whether the enforcement intentionally aimed at the story reporters.
Journalists were covered with rubber bullets or pepper spray, including the Australian television reporter of the affected, while doing a lively shot and New York Post reporter, who remained with a huge stripe after a direct hit. The CNN crew was briefly detained and was then released on Monday evening.
Reporters of the Advocacy Group have stated that at least 27 attacks on journalists have occurred since the beginning of the demonstrations – 24 of the law enforcement.
The Committee on the Protection of Journalists, the coalition of the first amendment and the Freedom Foundation was one of the groups to express the concerns of the Minister of Internal Security Kristi Noem. In the letter they said that “Federal officers have intentionally targeted to journalists who did nothing but their work that covered the news.”
Noem did not answer, David Loy, legal director of the coalition of the first amendment, he said on Tuesday. Noem spokesman did not have an immediate comment for Associated Press.
Experts say that apparent hostility towards journalists or ignoring their role and safety has become particularly evident during demonstration after after after Death George Floyd In 2020. A disturbing indication of the decline in the Freedom of Press is the rapid escalation of the threats facing journalists in the United States, said Bruce Shapiro, Executive director of Dart Centers for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.
While most journalists covering the wars receive training and safety equipment, it is clear that many – especially freelancers – do not have similar protection when they are assigned events such as demonstrations in Los Angeles, he said.
“It’s not like covering the war zone,” Shapiro said. “However, there are some very specific skills and strategies that people have to employ. The first addition is only as strong as the security of journalists who cover these events.”
On Sunday, Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi He was shot in his foot with a rubber bullet while reporting live, with a microphone in his hand, from protests in the center of Los Angeles. A widely circulated video shows how she shouts in pain and clutches her lower leg when she and her camera operator move quickly from the police line. Later 9news said she was safe and unharmed.
Photographer New York Post Toby Canham overlooked the highway 101 when he was hit. He spent Monday in a hospital with a whip and neck pain and left with a red sign. Shortly before he was shot, he said he saw someone throwing a bottle of fluid at the authorities.
“I fully understand that I am in a position where you could be injured,” Canham said. “At the same time, there was no justification for aiming the rifle at me and pulling the trigger, so I’m a little angry about it to be honest.”
Ben Camacho, a reporter on the local news website The Southlander, said he was shot twice. “He wasn’t sure what hit me sometimes, but hit as a hammer and without immediate warning,” he wrote online. “The elbow is packed with gauze and the knee is weak.”
When he was shot in his thigh, he stood near some people who waved Mexican flags. Later he underwent an emergency operation. “I thought it was a living bike because of the absolute intensity of pain,” he said. “Then I fainted from the pain.”
Lexis Olivier-Ray of La Taco, an alternative independent media platform, thought it was safely placed with some TV crews, but instead shot pepper balls. Some reporters may have been less care: one published a clip from a movie that filmed about 10 yards (9.1 meters) from a police officer with a rifle aimed at him.
Not all incidents concerned the enforcement of law. AP photographer Jae Hong was kicked on Monday and hit by sticks protesters, his protective equipment allowed him to escape injuries. Los Angeles TV reporter and her crew were forced to demonstrators, one loudly shouted, “Get out of here.”
CNN broadcast a video of her correspondent, Jason Carroll and his crew with his hands behind his back, which were led from the protest of the officers. They were later released.
In many past conflicts, journalists had a degree of protection because the contradictory parties wanted them to notice their side of the stories, said Shapiro. Now many journalists are considered unnecessary people who have other ways to deliver their news, or the goal by those who want to spread fear, said.
This illustrates the importance of proper training and protection, he said. For reporters in the middle of the story, they should be carefully planned – to realize the output routes and safe zones, work in tandem with others and in constant communication with their editors.
“We need all from the main news centers to television to civic journalists,” he said. “We need them on the street. But we need them to be safe.”
AP Jake Offenhartz in Los Angeles contributed to this report. David Bauder writes about media penetration and entertainment for AP. Follow him to and
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