NPPA Condemns NYPD Targeting Journalists At Occupy Wall Street
DURHAM, NC (November 15, 2011) – The National Press Photographers Association today strongly condemned the actions taken by the New York City Police Department in their apparent targeting of journalists for detention and arrest during last night’s clearing of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators from Zuccotti Park.
"This action is just another in the growing list of incidents across the country where visual journalists have been harassed, interfered with and arrested as they attempt to cover matters of public concern," NPPA general counsel Mickey H. Osterreicher said today.
According to news reports, at least six journalists were arrested or detained while covering the protests in New York City. According to the Associated Press, journalists have also been detained or arrested while covering protests in Chapel Hill, NC, Nashville, TN, Milwaukee, WI, and Richmond, VA.
NPPA demands that all charges against these journalists be dropped and that police officials instruct their officers to exercise common sense and restraint when dealing with journalists who are doing nothing more than gathering the news so as to better inform the public.
In many of these situations, those arrested were displaying press credentials or clearly carrying professional equipment so as to be easily identified by any reasonable person as a member of the press.
“It is extremely disturbing that photographers who put themselves in harm’s way while covering the news should be the targets of harassment and arrest by police for no other reason than the exercise of their First Amendment rights,” Osterreicher said.
Claims by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg that journalists were being kept away from the activity for their own safety “are disingenuous at best and at worst, a thinly veiled attempt at prior restraint of the news media, said NPPA president Sean D. Elliot.
Unfortunately these incidents are occurring with increased frequency throughout the country. In many cases, such as the recent arrests of two photojournalists in Milwaukee, NPPA has been actively involved in seeking that charges be dropped and that the police implement better policies and guidelines to avoid further incidents such as these.
Ummm hello NYPD. Its news, do you really think there won't be journalists and photographers covering the news or is it you just don't want people like us capturing the violent tactics that you use to bully people into doing what you want them too!
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