The Committee to Protect Journalists and partner organizations issued a statement Friday condemning the May 31 arrest of at least three journalists who were covering protests near the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey. Law enforcement used crowd “kettling” to circle a group of press and protesters, preventing their movement. Police allowed some journalists to leave, but three were arrested and held overnight, according to multiple reports.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is investigating dozens of other cases of assault against journalists at protests near Delaney Hall since detainees launched a hunger strike and work stoppage on May 22. Authorities also damaged journalists’ equipment in five incidents, and one local county sergeant has been charged with theft of a journalist’s camera bag.
The statement was led by CPJ, Free Press, the National Press Photographers Association, and Freedom of the Press Foundation, and joined by 14 other organizations.
Read the full statement here.