Protests bring press shield of unusual kind

PORTLAND, Ore. — The beam of a police officer’s flashlight swept across a group of 15 people standing on the sidewalk in downtown Portland, Oregon, recording and taking photos of the nightly protests that have roiled the city for three months.

Most in the recent group wore helmets, reflective vests or shirts emblazoned with the word “PRESS” and had media badges dangling from their necks. But some were demonstrators, taking cover behind reporters despite orders to go home or face arrest.

“Hey,” an officer yelled at his colleagues as they cleared streets and arrested people who weren’t leaving. “Half this group is not press. … Purple mask isn’t press. Bicyclist not press. … If they are not press, take them into custody.”

For nearly 100 days, reporters have been covering protests that often turn violent in Oregon’s largest city, and in the chaos, some journalists have been injured or arrested despite press freedoms laid out in the First Amendment.

The clash also led to a lawsuit against federal authorities sent in to help local police in July.

Reporters — whether they’re from major media outlets, freelancers or self-proclaimed “citizen journalists” — say they are doing their job.

Police say protesters have masqueraded as journalists and then set fires or thrown fireworks, making it a struggle to figure out who is a real reporter during the pandemonium.

According to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, over 740 aggressions against journalists have been reported during national Black Lives Matter protests this year.

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction exempting journalists and legal observers from orders to disperse after authorities declare a riot. But an appeals court later suspended it.

Police report that people with “press markings” have thrown commercial-grade fireworks, rocks and bottles at officers over the past two months and mingled with people in the crowd.

In mid-August, an officer was seriously injured after a person with “press” on their clothing threw a 9-pound rock, police said.

Police declined requests for an interview.

In a June video, Lt. Tina Jones said Portland police “continue to work with our media partners about the importance of following the lawful orders given by the sound truck, officers and social media so they can stay safe and avoid arrest and altercation.”