Updated Oct. 6, 2017
Oct. 5, 2017 – The mayor and acting police commissioner of St. Louis must be held accountable for the arrest of journalists covering public protests in the city, the Executive Council of The NewsGuild-CWA declared at a meeting on Oct. 5.
“The mayor and acting police commissioner must stop the practice of arresting journalists who are doing their job — informing the people,” said NewsGuild-CWA President Bernie Lunzer.
At least six journalists were arrested on Oct. 3 while covering a protest of the acquittal of police officer Jason Stockley, who shot and killed Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011. Two journalists were arrested while reporting on protests on Sept. 17 as well. There have been numerous protests since a judge found Stockley, a white patrolman, not guilty of the murder of Smith, who was black. The Oct. 3 arrests took place after a group of protesters departed Interstate 64, which they had blocked.
The Young Turks political reporter Jordan Chariton and his cameraman Ty Bayliss were detained overnight, as was NewsGuild member Al Neal, a reporter for People’s World, and Aminah Ali, a St. Louis-based independent journalist who founded local news site Real STL News. Independent journalist Jon Ziegler and freelance photographer Daniel Shular were also held.
A legal observer, Steven Hoffman, was also detained. According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 143 people were taken into custody.
Police also threatened to arrest NewsGuild member Robert Cohen, a St. Louis Post-Dispatch photographer — despite the fact he remained behind police lines and away from the protest that briefly blocked Interstate 64.
On Sept. 17, NewsGuild member Michael Faulk was arrested and assaulted by police. Scott Olson, a Getty photographer, was charged as well.
On Sept. 29, Post-Dispatch photographer and NewsGuild member Christian Gooden was pepper-sprayed by police while covering protests.
“Mayor Lyda Krewson and acting Police Commissioner Lawrence O’Toole must put a stop to the arrest of journalists, legal observers and others without cause,” Lunzer said.
“Journalists play a special role – as do the police,” he said. “If police are to be respected, they must respect others.”