The Asian American Journalists Association condemns the Friday morning arrests of CNN crew members, including reporter Omar Jimenez, while they were on the job. The crew was arrested while reporting live on the ongoing protests in Minneapolis over the death of George Floyd, and was released about an hour later.
AAJA stands in solidarity with our fellow journalists of color, such as Jimenez, whose perspectives and life experiences are integral to coverage of these stories — and who need support now more than ever.
It is absolutely unacceptable for journalists to be threatened, intimidated or arrested by law enforcement while exercising their First Amendment rights to report on the news. We condemn actions by government officials that interfere with journalists’ right to do their jobs without fear of recrimination. We commend journalists in their hard work covering the ongoing protests, and stand ready to be a resource in supporting their journalism.
-AAJA Board of Directors & AAJA Minnesota Chapter
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