More goes Wrong in Missouri

Journalist Trey Yingst being arrested during Ferguson protests.

With all of the terrible events that have taken place in Missouri more fuel is added to the fire by the police by trying to restrain the press.  The fact that they have already completely crossed the line by murdering a boy and now are trying to restrict First Amendment rights of freedom of press is ridiculous.  Several reports were made of police not only trying to stop press coverage but actually attacking news reporters, furthering the damage and violence they have already done.  Specifically on August 13th things became especially threatening.  One crew reported "seconds after filming police tussling with a man their video camera was hit by a "bean-bag round,"", a type of weapon the police were using to break up the protests.  Soon after the same crew was asked to leave by police with their weapons drawn.  In another case an Al Jazeera America TV crew, which had specifically set up their camera outside the established police perimeter, was fired at with a tear-gas canister.  Not only that but the video footage shows armed officer tilting the crew's camera down towards the ground.

 Additional cases have happened, however in response Ferguson Chief of Police Jon Belmar stated  "The media is not a target.".  Which, it really might not be, but just because it is not a target does not mean that it is at all allowable, or acceptable, to attack people trying to get solid new coverage of a major event happening in the United States.  It is not right that after all the events that have lead up to this, the police are still misusing violence  and their power to violate people's First Amendment rights.

Read more about news reporters in Missouri here

Read more about Trey Yingst here