Being a voice for the voiceless in times of crisis
When you violate someone’s First Amendment right, you attack someone’s freedom.
Last Friday, I got up and checked Twitter, like I always do. I’m an early riser, and usually no one is tweeting anything at 7 a.m.
This time, though, my timeline was flooded.
It was at that moment that I saw CNN reporter Omar Jimenez being arrested on live TV. I thought to myself, this has to be fake, he had to have done something. After watching the whole video, I discovered he did nothing wrong.
As an aspiring journalist, this was heartbreaking to witness. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of a huge number of protestors and members of the media being arrested, injured or having their equipment damaged.
According to Press Freedom Advocates, over 300 journalists have been attacked by the police and the Associated Press reported over 9,300 protestors have been arrested.
I understand being arrested for breaking the law. I am not arguing that. This is about the hundreds of protestors and members of the press wrongfully arrested.
I observed rubber bullets being shot at people, tear gas thrown at the media and a photographer permanently blinded with a rubber bullet.
Linda Tirado, a freelance photographer from Tennessee, was hit by a rubber bullet in her left eye — all for doing what she has a right to do. I was so outraged watching it happen all over the country.
I saw a video that will forever stick with me, of a peaceful protester, Givionne Jordan, being arrested while expressing his feelings towards police officers saying, “I am not your enemy — all of you are my family, I love each and every one of you.”
The sad part is there were plenty more cases of people being wrongfully arrested that weren’t caught on video.
The First Amendment is supposed to protect peaceful protestors and the press. However, last week was a different story.
We cannot live in a society where the media and peaceful protestors are attacked. What I hope to see is these police officers wrongfully arresting being fired, and damages paid to the victims.
Journalists, when doing their job correctly, are a voice for the voiceless.
When you take that away, you’re taking away freedom— something I never thought I would have to see.
