United States: Sexual Attack By Troll To Gaynor Hall
Location: United States, Illinois
Date: June 6, 2020
Journalist Gaynor Hall of WGN was reporting on May 24 in Illinois on the aftermath of the large storm when she was sexually and verbally attacked. The man yelling obscenities at Hall was later identified and arrested. The sexual attacker is now being charged with battery and disorderly conduct.
The profanity directed at Hall has been used by trolls since 2014 to intimidate and publicly harass women journalists.
Gaynor Hall later made a public statement on her Facebook page thanking the public for helping the police identify the sexual offender. WGN made it known to the public that Hall was left uninjured after the incident.
CFWIJ condemns intimidation tactics used towards women reporters and shows solidarity with Hall.
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.