September 2, 2021, Los Angeles - Several protests have erupted in Los Angeles by right wing political organizers ranging from issues like trans rights to covid vaccination programs. However, one thing has remained common: members of the press are unsafe during their coverage. Particularly journalists belonging from socially vulnerable groups find themselves being repeatedly and violently targeted by participants in these rallies. 

In an article published in The Guardian by Lois Beckett, the journalist recalls the violence she faced alongside several of her colleagues while providing coverage to anti-trans and anti-vaccination protests, especially from male participants. Not only were they threatened and abused, they were deliberately pushed to the ground and assaulted by the crowd. About a Guardian reporter, Beckett writes, “The demonstrators screamed “get out”, “traitor”, and “demon, flee!”, with one man shouting, “I’ll slap the shit out of you, stupid bitch,” according to audio of the incident.”

She herself was targeted by the demonstrators.

Another woman journalist Tina Desiree Berg, who works for an independent progressive progreesive was targeted with vile, gendered insults while covering an anti-vaccine protest. In fact, one of her attackers ripped her mask.

A writer for Left Coast Right Watch, Taylor Eve, reported being pepper sprayed at one of these rallies, believing she was deliberately targeted due to her political inclinations. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is extremely concerned about the growing violence against women journalists in the city and the absolute lack of accountability for those targeting them. The United States needs to take a good, long look at the right-wing violence it has enabled in the country over the past few years and urgently needs to find ways to address it. Safety of the press should be high on the priority list in a state that claims to be a champion of democratic values.