United States: CFWIJ Concerned About The Physical Assaults On Women And Queer Journalists During Right Wing Protests
Location: United States, Los Angeles
Date: September 2, 2021
Several protests have erupted in Los Angeles by right wing political organizers ranging from issues like trans rights to covid vaccination programs. However, one thing has remained common: members of the press are unsafe during their coverage. Particularly journalists belonging from socially vulnerable groups find themselves being repeatedly and violently targeted by participants in these rallies.
In an article published in The Guardian by Lois Beckett, the journalist recalls the violence she faced alongside several of her colleagues while providing coverage to anti-trans and anti-vaccination protests, especially from male participants. Not only were they threatened and abused, they were deliberately pushed to the ground and assaulted by the crowd. About a Guardian reporter, Beckett writes, “The demonstrators screamed “get out”, “traitor”, and “demon, flee!”, with one man shouting, “I’ll slap the shit out of you, stupid bitch,” according to audio of the incident.”
She herself was targeted by the demonstrators.
Was interviewing right-wing protesters a the Wi Spa and this helmeted person interrupted my conversation with a young woman, silently gestured me to go away. When I continued to follow the protesters down the street and talked to me, slapped my phone and notebook out of my hand. pic.twitter.com/zT52HZKmU2
— Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) July 17, 2021
Just got thrown to the ground by right-wing anti-pedophile protesters as a crowd coverged on me and chased me. They threw water at me and screamed about Jesus and said to grab my phone. Police would not let me through the police line but after I got thrown on the ground they did. pic.twitter.com/LDGqkua3fi
— Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) July 17, 2021
Another woman journalist Tina Desiree Berg, who works for an independent progressive progreesive was targeted with vile, gendered insults while covering an anti-vaccine protest. In fact, one of her attackers ripped her mask.
I was just attacked with others pic.twitter.com/LVrtWFWFng
— Notorious TDB (@TinaDesireeBerg) August 14, 2021
A writer for Left Coast Right Watch, Taylor Eve, reported being pepper sprayed at one of these rallies, believing she was deliberately targeted due to her political inclinations.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is extremely concerned about the growing violence against women journalists in the city and the absolute lack of accountability for those targeting them. The United States needs to take a good, long look at the right-wing violence it has enabled in the country over the past few years and urgently needs to find ways to address it. Safety of the press should be high on the priority list in a state that claims to be a champion of democratic values.
This guy with the American Flag bandana points at me immediately before I got pepper sprayed in the eyes, Roman Drake comes after @TinaDesireeBerg and American flag bandana guy kicks the air pic.twitter.com/7Kp03dcB6E
— Eve (@waterspider__) August 14, 2021
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.
