Photo: Police brutality evident as police attacks on journalists are witnessed across the USA/Hollywood Insider Last updated on 26 June 2020 at 10:15 pm. With this constantly updating article – Hollywood Insider will list instances of journalists and members of the press that have been attacked violently by the U.S. police while covering the Black Lives Matter movement. This is a COMPLETELY DISGUSTING violation of the freedom of the press and an attack on the First Amendment of the U.S. Consitution. Since the start of the Black Lives Matters protests after the wrongful death of George Floyd, journalists have been covering the movement throughout the USA. What has been evidently shocking is the abuse and violent attacks on the members of the press by the police force. Police brutality has decided to not spare press and journalism either. This violence coming from police across our nation is a blatant disregard for constitutional rights for journalists and people in general. Related article: Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s Love Letter to Black Lives Matter The FIRST AMENDMENT protects the freedom of press – the placement of this protection being the first on the list – shows to you exactly HOW INCREDIBLY important the freedom of press must have been and continues to be. Why do people not recite the importance of the Constitution of the United States when it comes to freedom of press? As protesters march throughout the world to protest police brutality towards Black people, now the police have decided to show that brutality towards press too? Freedom of the press is protected under the First Amendment, so why is law enforcement so quick to forget this, and incite violence against the press? These reporters attending protests are the key to our public truly receiving information from all angles, which is crucial for our democracy. Limited Time Offer – FREE Subscription to Hollywood Insider, for substance and meaningful entertainment that is free of gossip and scandal, click here The Freedom of the Press Foundation has collected and recorded all incidents involving members of the press in the U.S Press Freedom Tracker, and the number of attacks have been coming in at increasingly fast rates since May. Here is a look at incidents of violence against the press. Hollywood Insider fully supports the Black Lives Matter movement that has united our world – with 50 states and over 16 countries participating. This is only the beginning – please don’t stop now. 97% of the protests are peaceful and non-violent and it IS working. Keep going. We believe in peaceful/non-violent protests. Here is a statement from Hollywood Insider’s CEO: “I, Pritan Ambroase, and my media network Hollywood Insider along with my philanthropic foundation Humans of our World, fully, unequivocally and wholeheartedly stand with the Black Lives Matter movement and revolution to better our world. Full stop. One look at our network’s mission statement and values will confirm that our stance is permanent – we stand with our brothers and sisters for the #blacklivesmatter movement as we do for all other social justice movements that make our world a better place. Our support will never change. Please make these protests matter – vote with a conscience.” Subscribe to Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. This article/list will be updated daily – police attacks on journalists is a violation of freedom. MAY 2020 – List of police attacks on journalists 26 May – 1st day of Black Lives Matter protests and police attacks on journalists – Freelance journalist and CNN political commentator, Keith Boykin, is arrested at a protest in Manhattan even after identifying himself as a member of the press. Boykin was taking pictures and videos for his Twitter feed when officers told him to move. He told officers he was a member of the media and they told him it “didn’t matter” and proceeded to arrest him and throw him in the back of an overheated van for an hour. 28 May – 3rd day of Black Lives Matter protests and police attacks on journalists – Photojournalist for The Denver Post, Hyoung Chang, was hit with pepper balls multiple times at a protest in Denver, Colorado. Chang was taking pictures near the officers and was never told to move out of the way. Instead, officers began firing into the crowd and one officer targeted Chang specifically. Chang said. “I’m very sure it was the same guy twice. I’m very sure he pointed at me.” googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-body1'); }); Related article: Unsung Heroes Series: We Refuse To Forget 15-Year-Old Black Revolutionary Claudette Colvin, Whose Refusal To Stand Up Inspired Rosa Parks Protest 29 May – 4th day of Black Lives Matter protests and police attacks on journalists – While covering the fourth night of protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota at least eight members of the press were attacked. Freelance writer and photographer Linda Tiraldo was hit by a rubber bullet in the face and as a result is now permanently blind in her left eye. Tiraldo was hit with a tracker round first and when she started yelling that she was with the press, the officers paid it no mind. Briana Whitney is intentionally tackled by a man while covering a protest at Phoenix Police Department Headquarters, Photojournalist for Denver 7 News, Jan Czernik, is struck multiple times by pepper balls thrown by police at a protest in Denver, Colorado. In the early morning hours, CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez is arrested on camera in Minneapolis, Minnesota covering protests. Despite identifying themselves as the press, Jimenez and his production crew were all arrested. Jimenez showed his press credentials and said his crew would move if needed, ubt was met with two officers in riot gear arresting him without answering his questions as to why. Freelance journalist Sue Brisk is attacked in New York City. Brisk said her press pass was visible and she saw the NYPD beginning to get violent and the next thing she remembers is being slammed to the ground and pinned beneath 3 NYPD officers. Eventually a protester helped Brisk get away from the violent situation, bubt Brisk soon noticed that one of her cameras was nowhere in sight, believing that law enforcement took it to hide evidence. During protests in Louisville, Kentucky a WAVE 3 News crew was seen being shot at with pepper balls on live television. Reporter Kaitlin Rust says officers were repeatedly firing directly at her and photojournalist James Dobson. In Dallas, a news crew with CBS Channel 11 were getting ready to go live when an officer threw an already activated can of tear gas at the crew. Karli VanCleave, a reporter for WPTA ABC 21 in Fort Wayne, Indiana was struck with a canister of tear gas. VanCleave states that she was near officers with 5 other journalists, all of whom were wearing bright red clothing articles with the news station logo visible. Related article: Good Cop Stephen Mader Fired For REFUSING to Shoot A Black Person – This is why the black lives matter protests and movement are important 30 May – 5th day of Black Lives Matter protests and police attacks on journalists – Sam Trilling, a freelance photojournalist, is struck by a police baton while covering protests in Philadelphia. Trilling was near a barricade taking photos of the protest when an officer struck him across the abdomen with a baton. On assignment with The New York Times, Marina Trahan Martinez is shot at with dark blue foam projectiles while covering protests in Downtown Dallas. She explained she was with the press to which officers responded ‘it doesn’t matter’ and began to shoot at her in an attempt to make her leave the area. In Buffalo, New York freelance photographer Andrew Jasiura is fired at by police with pepper balls. When Jasiura attempted to take pictures of the nameplate belonging to the officer firing, the officer attempted to knock Jasiura’s camera out of his hands. Josh Sanders, a Phoenix television reporter, is hit in the thigh with a rubber projectile while reporting from the police headquarters In Minneapolis, Minnesota WCCO photojournalist Tom Aviles is shot with a projectile and later arrested while covering protests. HuffPost reporter Chris Mathias is arrested at a protest in Brooklyn. Mathias’s press badge was clearly visible. Detroit Free Press journalist JC Reindl was pepper-sprayed by police in Detroit, despite holding up his media badge to display for the officer. Related article: Live Updates: List of Successes From Black Lives Matter Protests! 31 May – 6th day of Black Lives Matter protests and police attacks on journalists – Brianna Sacks, a BuzzFeed News journalist is detained while reporting at Santa Monica protests. She showed police her press badger several times, but they continued to detain her with her hands in zip ties and failed to tell her why they were doing so. Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri is pepper-sprayed and arrested at Iowa protests. Alex Burness from the Denver Post is hit by a pepper ball and projectiles while reporting on protests happening in Downtown Denver, Colorado. Burness said he shouted out “Press” as things were being fired but it did not stop them. Reporter Andrew Dyer for the San Diego Union-Tribune is shot with pepper balls while reporting on protests in La Mesa, California. Dyer was wearing an orange reflective vest with his press credentials visible. Minneapolis Star Tribune reporter Ryan Faircloth, was shot at by law enforcement while sitting in his car. Officers fired non-lethal projectiles towards Faircloth and shattered his passenger window, sending glass to cut his left forearm and brow. University of New Mexico student journalist, Andrew Gunn, is hit by foam-tipped ammunition from law enforcement at protests in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Gunn was wearing a helmet clearly marked press and standing with other colleagues in the press when officers opened fire. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, a radio journalist for Los Angeles’ Southern California Public Radio, was shot in the neck with a rubber bullet while reporting on protests in Long Beach. He had just interviewed a man with his phone when an officer aimed and shot him in the throat. Related article: Systemic Racism Exists Because Racism IS The System, Black Lives Matter 1 June – 7th day of Black Lives Matter protests and police attacks on journalists – KPIX 5 News reporter Katie Nielsen is detained while reporting on protests in Oakland, California. Nielsen said as curfew approached an officer approached her and proceeded to cuff her hands behind her back. She explained she was a reporter and showed press badges but was still cuffed. A news crew from WIVB in Buffalo, New York is hit by police pepper balls. Gustavo Martínez Contreras, a journalist with Asbury Park Press was arrested while livestreaming the protests in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Freelance journalist, Michelle Leach, is detained by Omaha, Nebraska police while reporting for the Daily Beast at protests. Pat Brennan, a journalist for the Enquirer, is temporarily detained while covering protests in Cincinnati. Brennan and his crew explained they were with the press but were ignored. Sam Bishop, a freelance journalist, is shot with projectiles while reporting on protests in Worcester, Massachusetts. Bishop says he believes an officer began to target him with projectiles after overhearing Bishop tell another officer he was with the press. Atlanta Journal-Constitution photographer Alyssa Pointer is detained by officers from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Pointer showed her press badge to which an officer responded, “I don’t care. You’re being detained.” Vote with a conscience – Register to Vote – Your vote saves lives Ways to support Black Lives Matter 2 June – 8th day of Black Lives Matter protests and police attacks on journalists – In Los Angeles, California, freelance photojournalist Aaron Guy Leroux is arrested while covering protests. Leroux had already told multiple officers he was with the press. Leroux saw protestors getting arrested and another officer asked if he was with the press. When Leroux answered yes and showed credentials, the officer said “You’re getting arrested.” Two journalists from the Associated Press are shoved by the NYPD and forced to leave the protests in New York, New York. Reporter for Canadian news site Rebel News, Anna Slatz, is arrested while reporting on protests in New York, New York. A video of Slatz’s arrest shows her being forcefully arrested by NYPD. Alexander Marquardt & Josh Replogle of CNN are reporting live from Washington when police directly fires at them with pepper spray even while shouting “Press!Press! Press!” Related article: Systemic Racism Exists Because Racism IS The System, Black Lives Matter 4 June – 10th day of Black Lives Matter protests and police attacks on journalists – Reporters Jonece Starr Dunigan and Howard Koplowitz from AL.Com are taken into custody while covering protests in Birmingham, Alabama. Koplowitz was filming from his cellphone when an officer approached and told him they were being arrested. They both explained they were media and officers disregarded their comments. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-body2'); }); Michael Harriot is arrested while reporting on protests for The Root in Birmingham, Alabama. Rosalind Adams, a journalist for BuzzFeed, is recorded being arrested at a protest in New York, New York even while being heard yelling ‘I’m press.” In New York Caroline Haskin, a reporter for BuzzFeed, is threatened with being arrested. She showed her press badge to NYPD which she was told would be enough, however officers told her it wasn’t good enough. She was ultimately let go. Freelance journalist, Nick Pinto is struck with a police baton and forcibly knocked over after exclaiming he is with the press. The entire aggressive incident was caught on camera. Related article: UNSUNG HERO Claudette Colvin Inspired Rosa Parks | Black Women Matter Education 5 June – 11th day of Black Lives Matter protests and police attacks on journalists – Gothamist reporter, Sydney Pereira is shoved by NYPD while trying to report on an earlier arrest that had happened. 15 June – 21st day of Black Lives Matter protests and police attacks on journalists – Reporter Beth Nakamura from The Oregonian is shoved by police from behind with a baton while explaining she is with the press. 22 June – 28th day of Black Lives Matter protests and police attacks on journalists – Shelby Talcott, a reporter for The Daily Caller, was harassed and handcuffed by police near Washington, D.C.’s Lafayette Park. Protestors shoved Talcott into the police line, and officers then handcuffed her before releasing her afterwards. Last updated on 26 June 2020 at 10:15 pm. Please check back regularly for updates. Black lives matter protests and the movement are working. Share this article. 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