Incident Details
- Date of Incident
- January 20, 2017
- Location
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Arrest Status
- Arrested and released
- Arresting Authority
- Metropolitan Police Department
- Charges
-
-
Rioting
- Jan. 20, 2017: Charges pending
- Jan. 30, 2017: Charges dropped
-
Rioting
- Unnecessary use of force?
- No
Arrest/Criminal Charge
Protesters and journalists scramble as stun grenades are deployed by police during a protest near the inauguration of President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S., January 20, 2017.
Alexander Rubinstein, a reporter with the Russian state-funded broadcaster RT America, was arrested while covering protests on the day of the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump. RT said in a Jan. 20, 2017, report on its website that Rubinstein showed his media credentials to police before he was encircled with a crowd of people who were all arrested.
He was charged with the highest level of offense under Washington D.C.’s law against rioting, which applies when there are injuries as a result of the activity or property damage in excess of $5,000, which can be punished by a maximum of 10 years in jail and fines of up to $25,000.
On Jan. 30, the charges against Rubinstein were dropped.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
