United States: JPR Reporter April Ehrlich Arrested Covering Anti-Eviction Protests
Location: United States, Oregon
Date: September 26, 2020
Poverty and homelessness reporter of Jefferson Public Radio, April Ehrlich was arrested while covering the news of dispersing of homeless campers who have been evicted from their “tent city” in Hawthorne Park.
About two dozen Medford police officers moved into the park at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning to evict as many as 100 people who had set up camp over the past week-and-a-half in the city's main downtown park. Medford police said they cleared out the park Tuesday morning, making 11 arrests for various violations in the process. One of the people
arrested was Jefferson Public Radio reporter April Ehrlich.
April Erlich was at Hawthorne Park to cover the dismantling of the encampment when she was taken into custody on charges of interfering with a police officer, trespassing and resisting arrest.
According to JPR, April was told to move away from the park and go stand in a “press corner”. Her insistence on covering the events as a first hand witness led to her arrest April was released later in the day after posting bail.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism follows the crackdown against women journalists who follow protests in the country with great concern. Between May and July 2020 at least 37 women journalists were arrested, impeded at work or otherwise threatened for covering Black Lives Matter protests. We urge authorities to respect first amendment rights of journalists and refrain from arbitrary detentions.
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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