Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date: June 3, 2020

Demonstrations across the United States continue, and with curfews put in place in large cities, reporters are facing arrests.

DelawareOnline journalist Jenna Margaretta was arrested on June 2nd alongside her colleague while walking on the sidewalk near City Hall of Philadelphia, known as the birthplace of the first amendment.

Margaretta was released upon being detained for a few hours without having her rights read and was later told that “there has been a mistake”. 

Alongside Margaretta was Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Kristen Graham. Graham in her article in Inquirer talked about the unjust arrest and said: “Without signs, barricades or prior directions, there was no way for me to know I was in the wrong spot.”

Demonstrations sparked across the United States after murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, in the pursuit of justice. With numerous police forces are deployed to protest sites, journalists face constant threat of violence, arrest and censorship. Hundreds of journalists have reported to have faced attempts at censorship, verbal atttacks, blatant threats and police violence. Hundreds of journalists have been arrested while on duty and black journalists who take the civil unrest very personal are especially targeted. CFWIJ follows the events closely with great concern.

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.