As Protests Ramped Up Across The Country, So Did Police Brutality
Officers arrested reporters, attacked citizens and clashed with protesters as Americans demonstrated in memory of George Floyd and others killed by police.
As protests against police killings and inequality stretched into their fifth night in cities across the U.S., law enforcement officers geared up to go to battle with their own citizens. And in some cases, police brutality was on full display.
It was a weekend of violence between American authorities and the citizenry. Over the course of several days of protests ― prompted by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other deaths and instances of injustice ― major cities burned as protesters lashed out at police and the government.
Advertisement
The authoritarian response to those demonstrations was often cruel.
Linda Tirado, a freelance writer in Minneapolis, says she’s “permanently blind” in her left eye after allegedly being hit by a rubber bullet or tracer round fired by authorities on Friday. Tirado said she’d identified herself as press but was shot with a projectile anyway.
Reports and videos have emerged from all over the country of police firing so-called “less-lethal” rounds at protesters, shoving them to the ground or otherwise beating them, and using other means of force.
On Saturday, the reports were similarly dire.
In Louisville, Kentucky ― where people have taken to the streets in memory of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old former EMT shot and killed by officers serving a warrant at her home ― reporters posted video of officers apparently confiscating and destroying water stores held by protesters.
— Natalie Neysa Alund (@nataliealund) May 30, 2020
The night before, Louisville police fired what appeared to be pepper balls directly at Kaitlin Rust, a journalist at WAVE 3, and her crew. The company caught the attack on camera.
In New York City on Saturday, an NYPD cruiser was caught on video careening into a crowd of protesters. It was unclear how many were injured. Mayor Bill de Blasio reportedly called the incident “troubling” in an interview with NY1, but it wasn’t clear whether there would be an internal investigation.
“NYPD officers just drove an SUV into a crowd of human beings. They could’ve killed them, & we don’t know how many they injured,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeted Saturday night. “NO ONE gets to slam an SUV through a crowd of human beings.”
Advertisement
Officers in various places reportedly continued to target journalists on Saturday. HuffPost senior reporter Chris Mathias was detained amid protests in Brooklyn, New York, after reportedly identifying himself as a member of the press. Mathias, who covers the far right, disinformation and hate, had been reporting for days on the protests, and was wearing a press identification card around his neck at the time of his arrest.
After the dust had settled in New York City, de Blasio told a local TV station that he thought the NYPD showed “tremendous restraint” on Saturday night.
"Some things were done in the right way, we saw tremendous restraint from the NYPD. When you composite the whole day, thousands of situations I saw a lot of restraint," @NYCMayor
In Minneapolis, police reportedly fired tear gas at reporters “at point blank range,” and a Vice News reporter says he was thrown to the ground, held down and pepper sprayed by police after identifying himself as press.
Police just raided the gas station we were sheltering at. After shouting press multiple times and raising my press card in the air, I was thrown to the ground. Then another cop came up and peppered sprayed me in the face while I was being held down. pic.twitter.com/23EkZIMAFC
— Michael Anthony Adams (@MichaelAdams317) May 31, 2020
Advertisement
MSNBC host Ali Velshi, an NBC News reporter and their crews were reportedly tear gassed and struck by rubber bullets in Minneapolis. Separately, a CBS News crew was shot with rubber bullets despite being nowhere near protesters.
This is the moment Minneapolis Police fired on our CBS News crew with rubber bullets. As you can see, no protesters anywhere near us- we all were wearing credentials and had cameras out. Our sound engineer was hit in the arm. #cbsnewspic.twitter.com/UAy7HYhGnL
Early Sunday morning, another reporter in Minneapolis said authorities shot out his car window with “live rounds,” and posted pictures of himself bleeding from his face and arm.
Advertisement
In Denver, Rev. Melech E. M. Thomas tweeted that police had fired rubber bullets at his sister, even after she had fallen to the ground.
Studies have repeatedly shown that rubber bullets and other so-called “less-lethal” rounds are in fact deadly. One review of dozens of studies found that 15% of those injured by those projectiles were left permanently disabled, while 3% died, according to The Guardian.
President Trump has for years been stoking violence between authorities, protesters and especially the press, which he deems the “enemy of the people.” In the week leading up to the clashes between protesters and cops, Trump tweeted a racist call for authorities to shoot demonstrators, saying, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” He also implored authorities to “get tough and fight (and arrest the bad ones).”
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.