The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday resolved to protect the right of journalists to report the news without interference from law enforcement.
Supervisor Janice Hahn recommended the resolution, which listed the following injuries documented by local journalists, in addition to noting the alleged assaults on multiple journalists outside St. John’s Church in Washington, D.C., on June 1:
— journalist Cerise Castle documented being shot at with a rubber bullet by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department on May 30;
— photojournalist Luis Sinco documented that his camera was destroyed by a rubber bullet by LAPD officers on May 30;
— Los Angeles Times journalists Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Carolyn Cole were targeted, shot at with rubber bullets, tear-gassed, and pursued by officers of the Minnesota State Police on May 30;
— photojournalist Lexis-Olivier Ray documented an attack with a baton by an LAPD officer on May 31;
— UCLA student journalist Jintak Han documented being shot at with a rubber bullet by LAPD officers on May 31; and
— reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez documented being shot in the neck with a rubber bullet by an officer of the Long Beach Police Department on May 31.
“Whereas, journalists across the country have been attacked more than 150 times since May 28, including 125 assaults by law enforcement officers … and press freedom violations have been documented in more than 50 unique locations across 33 states, including 13 press freedom incidents in Los Angeles,” the board resolved to oppose targeting, harassment, use of excessive force and arrest of members of the press by law enforcement.