Free Press Literally Under Fire
Targeted, Arrested, and Assaulted
Why are police targeting protests of police brutality and the murder of George Floyd, illegally arresting reporters and violently assaulting protestors in Democratic Mayor led cities?
Minneapolis-Jacob Frey
Houston-Sylvester Turner
Atlanta-Keisha Bottoms
NYC-Bill de Blasio
San Jose-Sam Liccardo
Wash DC-Muriel Bowser
LA-Eric Garcetti
Ft Wayne-Tom Henry
Chicago-Lori Lightfoot
Louisville KY-Greg Fischer
@Nowthis says: Trump is not planning on addressing a nation in crisis. This week on Twitter he has suggested that George Floyd protesters be shot, has threatened protestors at the White House with 'vicious dogs,' and retweeted a clip saying ‘the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.’
(RyanFaircloth)
War Escalates on the Press, Anti-Fascists, Protesters and Democrats
Law enforcement deliberately targeting journalists during George Floyd protests
Free press is under assault.
This must stop Now.
Journalists risk their lives to report the truth.
Politicians and fascists risk other people’s lives to hide their lies.
Despite being called names, shamed, ridiculed, mocked and blamed, brave men and women have put their lives on the line, risking their lives, to report the news.
This targeted violence towards the Press has escalated Trump has been saying that the media is the enemy and decries fake news projecting his own crimes upon others for the last few years now.
@gop Republicans and Fox News and their anti free press in America rhetoric has amplified his rhetoric leading to this rampage.
There are also reports of white nationalist groups such as the Proud Boys dressing as Antifa and infiltrating Seattle and Portland protests. via @ameevanderpol
Trump says he is going to call Antifa, a small movement, a terrorist organization. Then what are the white supremacist organizations who are causing so much hate, violence and terror in our country? They are the real domestic terrorists.
Know the police’s force escalation (and de-escalation) matrix. Officers MUST follow these guidelines. Breaking them IS excessive force. #KnowYourRights save the pic. Share with other protesters. #BlackLivesMatter
https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/use-force-continuum
Write to the Minneapolis Police Department. Here is a sample letter:
To: police@minneapolismn.gov
Hello,
My name is _____ and I am a resident of _____ . I’m emailing today on behalf of the George Floyd case. I’m calling for the prosecution of Derek Chauvin #1087 and his partner Tou Thao #7162 to the fullest extent of the law and that you will not rest until that happens. George Floyd was arrested under an implied, non-violent crime and bystanders claim that he never resisted his arrest. The approach that the officers chose to take was one that resulted in murder and must not be taken lightly.
Black Lives Matter.
Regards.
SUE the POLICE and arrest and fire the killers in Minneapolis and beyond.
Look at all of the damage that has been done to HUMAN BEINGS doing their jobs aka Americans: (from Nick Waters and others on Twitter)
Journalists were targeted with tear gas in Minneapolis
There is NO defense for police in New York driving their cars into protesters no matter what the Mayor of NY says
Minnesota State Patrol fired tear gas at reporters and photographers at point blank range.
@Ryanfaircloth car was hit with a marker round. window completely shattered inward. Left him with cut on left brow and cuts on arm.
Many local media in Minneapolis have been tear gassed, hit with rubber bullets and several arrested.
@lynnellmick My dental office in the Linden Hills neighborhood of southwest Minneapolis is boarding up their windows… we have a police problem in MN: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1266489791018721280.html…
So far these journalists have gotten pepper sprayed, hit with rubber bullets or arrested:
@MSNBC’s @AliVelshi (rubber-bullets)
@CNN’s @keithboykin (arrested)
Keith Boykin: “The NYPD arrested me at 96th Street and West Side Highway while I was taking photos and video to post to Twitter. I told the police I was with the Press, they walked by me and then turned around and arrested me.”
@CNN’s @OmarJimenez (arrested)
@HuffPost’s @letsgomathias (arrested)
Reporter Chris Mathias (@letsgomathias) was taken into NYPD custody while doing his job as a journalist.
Also Phillip Lewis Huff Post reporter got shot in the leg with rubber bullets.
Simon Moya-Smith: was pepper-sprayed then arrested last night by Minneapolis PD even after identifying as a reporter MULTIPLE times:
Cop 1: *checks press badge as I’m on the ground*
Cop 2: “Roll on your side, Mr. journalist.”
Cop 3: *loads me in the car, sees my press badge and shrugs
@DeutscheWelle film crew in Minneapolis were threatened with arrest and later shot at with less lethal rounds as they were preparing to broadcast live, despite identifying themselves as journalists.
@wave3news@KaitlinRustWave and James Dobson (pepper bullets)
@killermartinis
@Shayan86 from a press photographer: "We were standing here with a group of reporters, told the police we were from the press but they targeted us nonetheless"'
Former Marine in LA who was documenting the protests was shot in the head by a less lethal round. As a result he has a bleed on the brain.
Chief US Correspondent for @Independent states that international media are being targeted with less lethal munitions in Minneapolis.
Journalist repeatedly hit despite identifying as press in LA.
(who also has a thread running with these incidents.)
Lexis-Olivier Ray
@ShotOn35mm
An LAPD officer hit me in the stomach after I clearly identified myself as a journalist multiple times.
Nick Waters reported hit in chest by less lethal round on 28th May in Minneapolis.
MaxNestarak got hit in the chest by a rubber bullet from police.
@CBSNews John Marschitz (rubber-bullet)
LA Times’ @mollyhf
"I’ve covered protests involving police in Ferguson, Mo., Baton Rouge, La., Dallas and Los Angeles. I’ve also covered the U.S. military in war zones, including Iraq and Afghanistan. I have never been fired at by police until tonight."
MarkVancleave
Protests I encountered tonight after curfew were largely peaceful but still met with a fast and overwhelming use of force by police.
Star Tribune’s @RyanFaircloth
Linda Tirado, freelance photographer/author, shot in the eye Friday while covering street protests in Minneapolis. {Blinded that eye}
And: WAVE’s reporter Kaitlin Rust,... directly fired upon by an officer with a pepper ball launcher while live on air on Friday night.
@StarTribune reporter got bloodied up in his car when they shot out his windows.
In Little Rock AR. They fired tear gas at reporters.
freelance @LindaTirado1 (rubber-bullet)
(car passenger window shot out)
(rubber-bullets)
@VICENews @MichaelAdams317 (pepper sprayed while lying face down)
@Townhallcoms’ @Julio_Rosas11 (rubber bullet)
@WCCO’s Tom Aviles (rubber bullet)
@OrmistonOnline
local CBS affiliate WCCO, also had a cameraman who got hit by a rubber bullet and then was arrested.
Black Lives Matter, Reporter/Media Lives Matter
Protesters in England are marching in solidarity with American protesters in front of the American Embassy.
Protesters Rally in Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany for George Floyd