SPJ: Phoenix, Arizona Chapter

St. Paul. Minnesota, skyline. Image by Yinan Chen from Pixabay

The U.S. Department of Justice must drop all charges against journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort in connection with their reporting on a Jan. 18 demonstration at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, SPJ said in a statement that “strongly condemns” the arrests.

Charges must be dropped against any journalists detained “while lawfully reporting,” the Jan. 30 statement continued. 

“The Society urges local authorities to fully explain the circumstances surrounding these arrests,” SPJ said. “And the Society reminds law enforcement agencies of the importance of clear policies and training that protect journalists’ right to observe, document and report on matters of public concern without fear of retaliation.”

“Journalists covering demonstrations play a critical role in documenting events of public interest, ensuring transparency and holding institutions accountable – especially during moments of heightened tension,” said Chris R. Vaccaro, SPJ national president.

“By arresting these journalists, the administration is signaling that journalists are unworthy of equal protection under the law,” Vaccaro said. “By egregiously flouting the constitution, the Trump administration is threatening speech rights more broadly. If they can arrest reporters for doing their jobs, government officials can arrest anyone speaking in public in ways that the government dislikes, regardless of a person’s motives or reasons for speaking.”

Fort and Lemon were among those arrested the afternoon of Jan. 29 and the morning of Jan. 30 in connection with the demonstration. 

Read the entire SPJ statement here.