USA: RSF condemns arrests of journalists covering DNC protest, calls for charges to be dropped
At least three credentialed journalists were arrested while covering protests in downtown Chicago during the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns this act of police interference with journalists’ ability to do their jobs, and calls for all charges against them to be dropped. Police in Chicago and across the United States must respect the right of journalists to do their jobs safely and without interference in covering election-related events and protests.
September 17, 2024 Update: Recently released Chicago Police body camera footage shows journalist Sinna Nasseri repeatedly informing police that he is a journalist and showing them his press credentials. Nevertheless, the officers violently arrested the photographer and held him for eight hours for "being in the way" according to police Superintendent Larry Snelling. Police should drop the frivolous ordinance violation against Nasseri.
Protestors marched the night of August 20, 2024 outside Chicago’s Israeli consulate in protest of the war in Gaza. Overnight, police decided to issue mass arrests, detaining 72 people according to the National Lawyers Guild of Chicago. Among the arrested were at least three credentialed journalists who were covering the protest, and were held for nine hours. Their credentials were seized and not returned until lawyers acting on their behalf intervened. One reporter’s camera was damaged. On August 21, the Chicago Police Department confirmed the journalists were charged with disorderly conduct and failure to obey police.
“Journalists have every right – indeed an obligation – to cover the protests happening across Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. Police must take care to distinguish reporters from protestors. Time and time again, credentialed journalists have been swept up in mass arrests of demonstrators. At best, this shows a lack of professional diligence on the part of the police. At worst, it’s a gross disregard for the First Amendment. Police in Chicago and across the United States must respect the rights of journalists to do their jobs in covering events and protests in the run-up to November’s elections.
Journalists in the United States are frequently arrested while doing their jobs in covering protests. Police have arrested reporters at least 33 times at demonstrations in 2024 alone according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. Another 43 assaults against journalists have been reported at protests this year.
This wave of arrests occurs as the United States has slid an unprecedented 10 places in RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index to 55th out of 180 countries. RSF recently issued 10 recommendations for how the next president can reverse this unfortunate decline.
