"I'm not part of the group. I'm just here photographing. I'm a journalist."
"I don't know. It's weird because they kept saying it even when I told them that I'm not. And I think they were looking at me, and because the bulk of the protesters were black, maybe they thought because I'm black that and I kept saying, I'm not a protester. I'm here covering the protest. I'm not with them,"
"I will not be intimidated, I will not back down. I will fight these baseless charges, and I will not be silenced."
An individual covering a protest at a Minnesota church was arrested in January and pleaded not guilty in February to two federal charges: conspiring against the right of religious freedom at a house of worship and interfering with freedom of religion under the FACE Act. The individual repeatedly identified as a journalist while documenting the protest, including stating, "I'm not part of the group. I'm just here photographing. I'm a journalist." The individual suggested that attendees may have failed to recognize the press role because the bulk of protesters were Black. The individual characterized the prosecution as an attempt to intimidate the press and vowed to fight the charges.
Read at www.mediaite.com
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