NUJ offers solidarity to Omar Jiminez & CNN team
Union condemns the actions of the Minneapolis police.
CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez, producer Bill Kirkos and photojournalist Leonel Mendez, were arrested live on CNN air whilst at work reporting on the protests in Minneapolis.
In response, Seamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary, said:
"This is an extremely disturbing and sinister development. It is clear that the CNN team were working at the protest scenes in Minneapolis, informing the public of what was happening.
"It is not acceptable that journalists should be surrounded and arrested live on air for doing their job. The presence of the media in such situations is essential and is a core function of public interest journalism.
"The National Union of Journalists in the UK and Ireland strongly condemns the actions of the Minneapolis police and offers solidarity and support to journalist Omar Jiminez and CNN colleagues."
Anthony Bellanger, IFJ general secretary, said:
"We are outraged at this blatant abuse of police powers and thinly disguised attempt to prevent proper scrutiny of police actions. From the President to the police, it appears journalists are being routinely targeted, demonised and now arrested. This war on media freedom and journalists rights must stop."