Protest Reporting Under Siege: Police Brutality Drives 300+ Physical Attacks on Women Journalists
Over the past five years, from 2019 to 2024, the global landscape for women journalists covering protests has become increasingly dangerous. Data from Women Press Freedom reveals over 300 incidents of physical assaults on women reporters during demonstrations, with law enforcement responsible for most of these attacks.
This represents a troubling trend, where journalists face escalating violence, often from the very authorities meant to protect them. The threats extend beyond physical harm, as women journalists are also disproportionately detained and arrested while attempting to cover critical political and social movements. High-risk events such as LGBTQI, anti-racist, anti-government, and women’s rights protests have become hotspots for violence and detentions, with countries like Turkiye, Belarus, and the United States standing out for their number of violations.
Women Press Freedom's data also shed light on a disturbing pattern: journalists covering social justice movements, such as Black Lives Matter protests and labor demonstrations, face a higher risk of unjust arrest and detention by police. Law enforcement has consistently shown a readiness to handcuff and detain reporters covering these causes, while far-right demonstrations result in far fewer violations against the press.
Equally alarming is the rise in attacks on journalists reporting on climate-related protests. Environmental reporters are increasingly harassed, with law enforcement treating them as protestors rather than members of the press. These journalists are routinely taken into custody, detained, and charged with protest-related offenses — despite clearly identifying themselves as press. This concerning trend reflects a dismissive and hostile attitude towards those covering environmental issues and climate action.
In this report, we delve into the patterns of violence, unjust arrests and detentions against women journalists during protests from 2019 - 2024. These attacks not only imperil the safety of journalists but also threaten press freedom, democracy, and the public’s right to information. Women Press Freedom urges global accountability and stronger legal protections for those who risk their safety to report the truth.
Detentions of Journalists Covering Protests
From 2019 to 2024, the detentions of women journalists while covering protests have represented a significant portion. Out of a total of 636 arrests and detentions, 266 occurred during protests. This indicates a direct correlation between political unrest and the suppression of independent journalism, whose coverage of protests has made them vulnerable to state-sanctioned detentions.
This data also shows that in countries like Turkiye, Russia, and Belarus, detentions during protests are part of a larger strategy to crack down on independent media. The high number of detentions in these regions shows the difficulties faced by women journalists who are not only covering dangerous protests but are also directly targeted by governments seeking to prevent the dissemination of information.
Governments employ detention not only to prevent the coverage of protests but also to intimidate journalists into self-censorship, which has far-reaching implications for press freedom. The detentions of journalists at anti-war protests, election rallies, and even memorial events for figures late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and in the anniversary of Gezi Park protests in Turkiye highlight the broad scope of state attempts to control narratives and prevent dissenting voices from reaching the public.
Trends in Detentions (2019-2024)
A closer examination of Women Press Freedom’s data reveals that detentions of women journalists during protests spiked significantly in 2020 and 2021, with 79 and 71 arrests and detentions respectively, corresponding with social upheavals, including the Belarus anti-government protests, Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrations in the United States and multiple labor and women’s related demonstrations in Turkiye. These two years saw the most detentions of women journalists as they were unjustly targeted for covering mass movements against authoritarianism, racial injustice, and political corruption.
The downward trend observed in 2022 and 2023, with 27 and 22 detentions during protests, suggests either a reduction in the coverage of such movements due to growing restrictions or a shift in tactics by states to avoid international scrutiny and negative attention.
Belarus: Anti-Regime Movement Results in Mass Detentions of Journalists
In Belarus, women journalists have faced an extreme wave of repression since the disputed 2020 presidential election. Opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who challenged President Alexander Lukashenko after he claimed victory, called out widespread electoral fraud. This sparked massive protests across the country, which were met with violent crackdowns, including the use of rubber bullets and mass detentions.
Between August 2020 and May 2021, 66 women journalists were detained for their coverage of the protests, marking one of the most extreme instances of state violence against the press. The Belarusian government’s coordinated effort to silence independent media highlights the lengths authoritarian regimes will go to suppress dissent, especially during times of political unrest.
Four women journalists detained between 2020 and 2021 are still imprisoned in Belarus. Many others have either been forced into exile or left journalism entirely due to the complete collapse of press freedom in the country. Belarus has become one of the most oppressive places in the world for media workers. Women journalists, already marginalized, face both state repression and gender-specific threats, which make them even more vulnerable in this increasingly hostile environment for free speech.
United States: Black Lives Matter Protests Trigger Assaults and Detentions
The Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in 2020 and 2021 revealed alarming instances of detentions and physical assaults targeting women journalists in the United States, challenging the perception that press repression is primarily an issue in authoritarian regimes. Women Press Freedom documented 26 assaults on women journalists covering protests during this period and 8 detentions. Our data shows how even established democracies can suppress critical reporting during civil unrest.
For instance, on May 31, 2020, BuzzFeed News journalist Brianna Sacks was detained by police in Santa Monica while covering protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd. Despite repeatedly identifying herself as press and showing her credentials, Sacks was zip-tied and pulled from the crowd. Though she was released after 15 minutes, the authorities ordered her to leave the protest area, effectively silencing her coverage.
On June 1, 2020, Katie Nielsen, a reporter for KPIX 5 News, was detained while covering a peaceful protest in Oakland. Despite identifying herself as press and following police instructions, Nielsen was handcuffed just before an 8 p.m. curfew. Her detainment hindered her ability to report on the protest and the ensuing arrests, reflecting how such tactics prevent coverage of key civil rights events.
The detainment of Samantha Melamed, a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, on June 23, 2020, during a protest against police funding, highlighted not only suppression of the press but also misogynistic behavior by the police. Melamed, despite identifying herself as a journalist, was handcuffed with zip ties, mocked, and dragged down stairs by police officers who made derogatory comments.
Physical Assaults Against Journalists Covering Protests (2019 – 2024)
Between 2019 and 2024, Women Press Freedom documented 365 cases of physical assaults against women journalists covering protests, representing 53% of all recorded physical attacks on journalists during this period. The findings indicate a troubling global pattern, where journalists are disproportionately targeted while covering demonstrations.
LGBTQI, anti-government, and women’s marches have been the most dangerous protests for women journalists to cover. The data shows a concerning trend of attacks at demonstrations that are meant to uphold human rights, such as LGBTQI and women's rights, with a combined total of 69 assaults across these categories, accounting for 19% of physical assaults against journalists covering protests.
Events like the Black Lives Matter protests in the U.S., which saw 26 documented assaults in 2020 and 2021, protests against COVID-19 measures (13 assaults), as well as election-related demonstrations worldwide (22 assaults), further highlight how volatile political and social events are for women reporters.
Law enforcement is responsible for the vast majority (250 out of 365 or 68%) of these assaults, raising grave concerns about the role of police forces in suppressing press freedom rather than protecting it. Despite clear identification, journalists are frequently treated as participants in protests rather than as neutral observers, which places their safety in jeopardy. This is a systemic issue, especially in countries like Türkiye, which accounts for 123 of the assaults — the highest number recorded in any single nation.
Other perpetrators include protestors (95), and a smaller number of attacks by political supporters (13) and private security. These numbers reveal that journalists are not just caught in the crossfire but are often directly targeted for their coverage.
Journalists Covering LGBTQI Events Face Dual Threat of Police Brutality and Far-Right Attacks
Vanja Stokić, attacked in Bosnia- Herzegovina 2023
“Here in Bosnia, people often say to the LGBT community, you are free to do whatever you want inside your four walls. But they were inside their four walls and police came and took them outside. Outside and brought them to the hooligans. So what can they do?”
Journalists covering LGBTQI events are at particular risk, facing both police brutality and attacks from far-right groups. 10% of physical assaults on women journalists covering protests since 2019 occurred while reporting on LGBTQI pride events or demonstrations. This shows a broader pattern of targeted violence aimed not only at suppressing LGBTQI voices but also silencing those who report on these communities.
One of the most troubling aspects noted in Women Press Freedom’s data is the complicity — or inaction — of law enforcement. Journalists covering LGBTQI events often find themselves abandoned by police, who either fail to protect them or directly perpetrate violence. In countries like Turkiye and Georgia, journalists have been brutalized while police stood by or, in some cases, led the attacks. This dynamic not only exposes journalists to harm but also emboldens far-right groups and homophobic agitators, knowing they can act with impunity.
For LGBTQI journalists, the threat is compounded by the personal risks they face simply for covering events that align with their own identity. The violence and harassment they encounter is not just an attack on their profession but on their very existence. Whether the violence comes from police or far-right extremists, the message is clear: journalists covering LGBTQI issues are being deliberately targeted to suppress their reporting and intimidate them into silence.
Police Violence: Impunity for Attacks, Limited Accountability
The deliberate targeting of journalists, particularly women, by law enforcement reflects a disregard for the free press's role in holding power to account. In many of these cases, attacks go unpunished, leading to a culture of impunity and making it increasingly dangerous for journalists to perform their duties.
In the United States, there has been some progress in seeking accountability for the attacks by police. After violent police actions during the George Floyd protests, a number of injured journalists have pursued legal action, leading to multiple settlements in their favor. Although many police departments have not openly admitted wrongdoing, some have committed to additional press freedom training. The financial compensation paid to injured journalists serves as some form of punishment for the police’s unacceptable behavior.
Globally, police forces must be held responsible when they attack journalists simply for doing their jobs. Women Press Freedom demands that governments worldwide implement safeguards for women reporters and take action against perpetrators, especially when law enforcement is complicit in these violations. The protection of press freedom is not just a matter of safety for journalists but a fundamental human right that supports democracy and transparency.
