MINNEAPOLIS – A federal judge, Wilhelmina Wright, barred police at protests in suburban Brooklyn Center from arresting journalists or using force against them. . Several journalists posted images of being detaining while police checked their credentials. Two journalists were pepper-sprayed. A freelance photographer tweeted that an officer pepper-sprayed him, punched him in the face, and tore off his credentials before another officer smashed his head into the ground. Judge Wright said such tactical tools could be used only if police know the person committed a crime. Covering news is not a crime. Indeed, it’s protected by the Free Press Clause in the U.S. Constitution, Judge Wright said in issuing her temporary restraining order.
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Suki Dardarian, senior managing editor, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: “We are extremely troubled by how the media is being treated and have repeatedly shared those concerns with the authorities.”