United States: CFWIJ condemns the detention of journalists Renée Jones Schneider and Liz Flores
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April 16, 2021, Minnesota - Journalist Renée Jones Schneider was detained alongside her colleague Liz Flores while covering a protest demonstration against the killing of a black man Daunte Wright by a white police officer. According to Jones Schneider she was apprehended despite informing the police that she was part of the press.
The incident took place at the Brooklyn Center where several hundred protestors had gathered to protest the shooting of Daunte Wright at the hands of a white cop during a traffic stop on April 11. The incident triggered a new wave of protests against racial injustices and police overreach that was reminiscent of the movement that had gathered around the killing of George Floyd. The protest was largely peaceful, however, according to St. Paul Pioneer Press around 9 pm some protesters tried to breach the barrier between themselves and the police station, resulting in a declaration of unlawful gathering and order of dispersal. Upon refusal of protestors to leave, the police cracked down on those present there, making over a hundred protests and detaining the journalists present there to cover the event.
Minneapolis Star Tribune journalist Renée Jones Schneider who was present there at the time alongside Liz Flores, informed the US Press Freedom Tracker that she and her colleague were detained as well. According to Jones Schneider she and her colleague had moved away from the crowd when they sensed that the situation could turn violent, however, unlike previous times, the announcement of dispersal did not carry any instructions for the press to leave. A few moments later they saw protestors running towards them. When they went to check what was causing them to run, they saw a line of armed police officers approaching the gathering.
When Jones Schneider attempted to identify herself as press to the police officers she was informed that they don’t care and was told to lie on her stomach on the ground. According to her several other people apprehended were also visibly members of the press. While the police did not scream or touch anyone, she says, their decision to detain press members was still surprising. After a few moments, she was asked to show her press credentials to the police present at the location twice, following which they allowed her to leave the premises.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the actions of the police officers on the site. There is absolutely no reason to apprehend members of the press who are clearly displaying their credentials other than to intimidate them. The press has a right to be present at the site of protest, even if it does get violence, without fearing detention or arrest. The culture of institutional overreach in the American police systems need to be urgently addressed to ensure the safety of democratic principles in the country.
