DeRay Mckesson and Several Journalists Arrested at Black Lives Matter Protests
On Saturday night, police arrested several activists and journalists at protests across the country over the highly publicized fatal police shootings of two black men this week. On Monday, a police officer shot and killed Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana as he was being held down by two other officers, and on Wednesday a cop mortally shot Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota as Castile was reaching for his driver’s license during a routine traffic stop. Both murders were documented in videos that went viral.
Prominent Black Lives Matter organizer DeRay Mckesson was arrested at a protest in Baton Rouge at around 11 p.m. Saturday night, along with approximately 100 other demonstrators, according to the Washington Post.
Brittany Packnett, a co-founder, along with Mckesson, of Campaign Zero told the Washington Post that two officers violently arrested McKesson. “They tackled him. One officer hit the top of his body and another officer the bottom,” Packnett said. According to Packnett, Mckesson was “clearly targeted” by police.
Packnett told the New York Times that as of 5:15 Sunday morning DeRay was still in custody and physically unharmed, and speculated that he is being held for obstructing traffic.
Mckesson, who had been live-streaming the protest on his phone, had his phone knocked out of his hands when he was arrested, ending his coverage of the protest.
Edward Snowden tweeted messages of solidarity with Mckesson and reporters who are also arrested Saturday night:
One of these men is under arrest. Which seems more at peace with his choices? #RightToMarch pic.twitter.com/1Ch1wH79yY
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) July 10, 2016
How else would you describe the reporters from @WWNO and @WAFB who were arrested? Details: https://t.co/f3oLZVnZEE https://t.co/ldxfKNnQdv
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) July 10, 2016
Journalists were arrested at protests in at least two cities. Among those arrested at Baton Rouge was a journalists from local television station WAFB.
>@WAFB employee arrested tonight @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/ZeGiewN0v6
— Mark Armstrong (@TvMarkArmstrong) July 10, 2016
Police also arrested Ryan Kailath, a reporter with New Orleans public radio station WWNO, on one count of simple obstruction of a highway, The Advocate reports.
New Orleans @NPR affiliate reporter @ryankailath arrested by police a couple of hours ago while covering protests: https://t.co/MYVvrYRIhK
— Bryn Stole (@BrynStole) July 10, 2016
Two journalists WHAM, a television station out of Rochester, New York were taken into custody at a protests in the city’s downtown area, according to WHAM.