Location: United States, Washington D.C
Date: June 6, 2020

On May 31, Mehtap Yılmaz and her crew were covering demonstrators at the middle entrance to St. John’s Church, in Lafayette Square near the White House, when police suddenly charged at them.

Yilmaz said police raised batons toward them as officers forcibly moved the crew and others, despite the VOA team identifying themselves as news media.

The incident reminded Yılmaz of when she worked in Iraq as an assignment overseas, but she expressed shock to see the same treatment in the United States.

“There was a harsh intervention of the police against journalists during the protests. Although we showed our press cards, we were drastically removed from the protests in front of the White House,” Yilmaz said.

Demonstrations sparked across the United States after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, in the pursuit of justice. With numerous police forces deployed to protest sites, journalists face the constant threat of violence, arrest and censorship. Hundreds of journalists have reported having faced attempts at censorship, verbal attacks, blatant threats and police violence. Hundreds of journalists have been arrested while on duty and black journalists who take the ongoing civil unrest very personally 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.