Reporters covering US protests shot at, arrested, threatened and beaten

MORE than 90 journalists have been arrested, attacked or injured while covering the protests across America, as press freedom groups say President Donald Trump’s “demonisation” of the media is partly to blame.

Reporters have been shot with rubber bullets, exposed to tear gas and pepper spray, beaten, threatened, and intimidated while reporting on demonstrations over the death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, as he was arrested by Minneapolis police officers.

Journalists have been targeted in about 90 incidents since the protests began last Wednesday, according to the investigative group Bellingcat.

In some, it appears, reporters were caught in the crossfire, but in other more disturbing cases, journalists had clearly identified themselves to police and been attacked anyway.

While covering the first night of the protests in Minnesota, a black CNN reporter was arrested live on air. Tim Walz, Minnesota’s governor, apologised at a news conference and said he took “full responsibility” for the incident.

Tim Arvier, an Australian 9News US correspondent, was later detained by police at gunpoint in the city.

Late on Sunday, Des Moines police arrested reporter Andrea Sahouri, of the Des Moines Register, for failure to disperse while she was covering a demonstration at a local shopping centre that had turned violent.

In a video posted on Twitter, Ms Sahouri said police sprayed her in the face with pepper spray after she identified herself as a member of the media. “I’m press. I’m press. I’m press,” she said she told police.

Meanwhile, a photographer who has done freelance assignments for The Daily Telegraph was detained while reporting in Brooklyn, New York.

“I said I was press. They just didn’t seem to care,” he said.

Christophe Deloire, secretary general of Reporters with Borders, said Donald Trump’s attacks on the media were partly to blame.

“Trump’s demonisation of the media for years has now come to fruition, with both the police and protesters targeting clearly identified journalists with violence and arrests,” he said.

On Sunday, Mr Trump accused the media of “doing everything within their power to foment hatred and anarchy.”

‘Trump’s demonisation of the media for years has now come to fruition with both police and protesters targeting clearly identified journalists’