New York Times reporter assaulted, cameras stolen and damaged amid Capitol riot

January 6, 2021
New York Times reporter Erin Schaff wrote that she was assaulted, one of her cameras stolen and the lens of a second broken by rioters as they stormed the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021.A riot broke out as supporters of President Donald Trump marched on the Capitol, swarmed the building and broke inside in an attempt to disrupt the Congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, Reuters reported. At a noon rally held in front of the …

Sheriff’s deputies shoot reporter with pepper balls in California protests

May 31, 2020
San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Andrew Dyer was shot with pepper balls while he was documenting protests in La Mesa, California, on May 31, 2020.Protests that began in Minnesota on May 26 have spread across the country, sparked by a video showing a police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a black man, during an arrest the day before. Floyd was later pronounced dead at a hospital.Dyer told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that he was covering a protest …

San Jose Spotlight reporter detained despite press exemptions for citywide curfew

May 31, 2020
Law enforcement ordered Luke Johnson, a San Jose Spotlight reporter, to get on the ground with his face down while he was covering the third consecutive night of protests against police violence in San Jose, California, on May 31, 2020.Earlier in the day, City Manager David Sykes had announced the implementation of a citywide curfew from 8:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. Notably, media outlets were deemed “essential businesses” and exempt from the measure.When curfew arrived that evening, demonstrators remained on …

Police hit two freelance journalists with projectiles at Tucson protest

May 30, 2020
Police struck two freelance journalists in Tucson, Arizona, with projectiles at a protest on May 30, 2020.The protests were held in response to a video showing a white police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a Black man, during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25. Floyd was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Protests against police brutality and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement have been held across the United States since the end …