Police in Minnesota round up journalists and take pictures of their faces

Re:Police in Minnesota round up journalists and take picture... by clcaev on Monday April 19, 2021 @01:21AM (#26859330)

Agency isn't such a bright line?

What about the professional journalist who stays past the curfew announced 10 minutes earlier, remains in the middle of a protest to live interview the event, and then gets caught in the police corral? Once the police collapse a large group of people into a very small area (say, with gas and shields), is there anyway that this journalist is not "involved"?

Or, should this journalist, to remain an observer and not become a participant, immediately leave when the state commands them to do so... perhaps going to an authorized "observation area"?

Civil disobedience has proven critical for societal progress. Why shouldn't those who are career professionals at documenting these events be given deference, acknowledging their service to the public interest?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Police in Minnesota round up journalists and take picture... by AnthonyMouse on Monday April 19, 2021 @03:40AM (#26860026)

Civil disobedience means breaking the law for a good reason and taking the punishment when it comes.

The modern method of suppressing it is to impose a penalty of twenty years in prison and three generations of bankruptcy for anyone caught ruffling the wrong feathers, when the offense in question would otherwise justify a night in jail or a modest fine. That's a problem we need to solve for everybody and not just state-sanctioned journalists.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Police in Minnesota round up journalists and take picture... by robin21 on Monday April 19, 2021 @04:13AM (#26860212)

They do.

> Law enforcement quickly identified media and escorted them to a line where they were asked for credentials and identification. Law enforcement took pictures of journalists' credentials and IDs as well as photos of the journalists’ faces.

[ Parent | on HN ]