Protests in the United States - 50 cases of violence against journalists have been reported

The major protests against racism in the US police force raging in the US started after the attention-grabbing arrest of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week. The protests continued over the weekend and so far over 4,000 people have been arrested.

Several reports have also been received about incidents where journalists have been subjected to violence or arrests in connection with reporting from the demonstrations.

According to a compilation conducted by The Guardian, more than 50 such cases have been reported on social media and news services in recent days.

Freelance journalist Linda Tirado became blind on one eye after being hit by a rubber bullet when she reported from a demonstration in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Expressen's US correspondent Nina Svanberg was also hit by a rubber bullet when police shot at journalists and protesters in Minneapolis.

Several journalists have also been detained, including Huffpost reporter Chris Mathias, who was arrested in New York, CNN's reporter team arrested in the middle of a live broadcast and CBS photographer Tom Aviles who was arrested after being hit by a rubber bullet.

The weekend's events have aroused strong feelings, not least among press freedom organizations. The US CPJ condemns the attacks in a statement, stating that it "demonstrates a total lack of regard for the central role of journalists in documenting issues of public interest".

- We are deeply concerned about the violence against journalists. Especially over what appears to be targeted attacks by the police where, among other things, rubber bullets, pepper spray and tear gas have been used even after the people have said they are journalists, CPJ Chief Courtney Radsch tells the Culture News.

She adds that violence against journalists is not a new phenomenon in the United States, but that the number of cases has increased rapidly for a short time.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also condemns the attacks and highlights President Donald Trump's role.

- Trump's demonization of media in the United States has led police to seize and attack clearly identified journalists and protesters also appear on reporters. We have long warned that Trump's actions would lead to physical attacks. The consequence is now completely hostile to the media and a targeted violence against journalists, says Erik Halkjaer, chairman of RSF Sweden, in a statement.