United States: Targeted Attacks Of Police Forces Continue, Photographer Sarah Belle Lin Injured
Location: United States, Oakland, CA
Date: June 4, 2020
Journalists across the United States have been targeted by police while covering the George Floyd protests.
They faced arrest, detention, and violence, including being pepper sprayed and shot by rubber bullets. Journalists are targeted in a never before seen violent way despite introducing themselves and providing the authorities with press badges.
Sarah Belle Lin, reporter and photojournalist, was hit in the thigh by a rubber bullet fired by police while covering protests in Oakland, California, on May 31st.
“I was hit by the police in the inner thighs. I am injured. I repeated my First Amendment rights,” said the reporter in a Twitter message. Lin was left severely bruised after the attack by the Contra Costa County police forces.
She later bravely confronted the police that shot her.
I confront the police who made the decision to shoot me, a journalist wearing badge and clearly carrying a camera. pic.twitter.com/FpYnj1REFR
— Sarah Belle Lin (@SarahBelleLin) May 31, 2020
Despite rampant violence on site women journalists keep working selflessly to cover the historic events taking place in the United States.
Demonstrations sparked across the United States after murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, in the pursuit of justice. With numerous police forces 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 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.