"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
These are the words of the first amendment to the United States constitution. It guarantees certain rights to be respected by lawmakers and law enforcers. Recently there have been disputes over whether or not some of these rights are being violated during police response to Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests across the country.
Members of the press are reportedly being tear gassed along with the protesters, having recording equipment confiscated by police, and having their attempts at proving identity by showing press badges ignored and being detained anyways. There are videos of reporters being handcuffed and searched or having belongings confiscated while their badge is ignored. Below is a video of CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez being arrested during live coverage of a BLM protest in Minneapolis. After identifying himself to officers he and his crew were all put into handcuffs, CNN released the footage on YouTube along with coverage on their website.
Members of the press are supposed to be protected during coverage of incidents like the BLM protests, and recently, according to US News a judge in Portland has ruled that members of the press are not required to comply with dispersement orders from law enforcement. This act shows that the press are protected during protests and should not have their identities ignored or be punished with violence for reporting the truth of what happens at these protests, the good and bad. Their constitutional protection exists so that the American people have a way to see and understand what is happening in their country.
Sources:
Macaya, M., & Hayes, M. (2020, May 30). A black Latino CNN reporter was arrested. A white CNN reporter was not. Retrieved September 24, 2020, from https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/george-floyd-protest-updates-05-28-20/h_9023ffd063def0b1af22cb3ecdc72a06
Singh, K. (2020, August 21). Judge Exempts Journalists, Legal Observers From Portland Protest Dispersal Orders. Retrieved September 24, 2020, from https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2020-08-21/judge-exempts-journalists-legal-observers-from-portland-protest-dispersal-orders
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