Location: United States, Des Moines
Date: May 31, 2020

Andrea Sahouri was arrested ìn May 2020 while covering a Black Lives Matter protest. Police officials physically assaulted her during the process, even though she was perfectly cooperative during the process. Despite her employer publication registering a protest, and terming this repression of the press, the charges against her have not been culled.

Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri was pepper-sprayed and arrested at a BLM protest rally on May 31, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa. According to Sahouri, she was covering a demonstration at Merle Hay Mall when she was arrested. The police attacked the demonstration with tear gas, and Andrea's partner was injured in the commotion that followed. According to Andrea, when she sat down to tend to his injuries, the police approached them, and despite Andrea's clarification that she is part of the press, the officer sprayed her twice in the face with pepper spray. A photograph of Andrea, handcuffed, and sitting on the curb came to light, making the police overreach obvious. Sahouri was escorted to the Polk County Jail, and charged with failure to disperse and interference with official acts.

It is not lost on anyone that Andrea is a journalist of colour, whose status as a member of the press was disregarded by police officials before they proceeded to physically assault her. Even if one is to stretch their imagination and believe that it occurred in the heat of the moment, the fact that not only has an apology not been issued yet, but Andrea will have to face trial to defend herself against these bogus charges proves the absence of regret from the police. It is not Andrea but the cop who attacked her, who needs to be held accountable for their actions.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the police actions on the day and extends solidarity to Andrea. The cases against her should be dismissed, the police department should issue an apology and the American authorities need to urgently address the deep institutional racism that plagues their law enforcement agencies.

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

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