Minnesota state police arrested a CNN reporter and his cameraman as they covered the continuing protests over the death of George Floyd in south Minneapolis.
The police cited CNN contributor Omar Jimenez with a misdemeanor for refusing to stop his coverage of the civil unrest on Thursday.
Police allowed Jimenez and his cameraman to finish his report before placing the camera on the ground and arresting the journalists.
Fellow journalists and CNN colleagues vented their outrage on Twitter, saying the arrests violated the reporter’s freedom of speech rights.
“Arresting journalists is regime behavior. Please know that, Minnesota. #GeorgeFloyd,” tweeted MSBNC corespondent Joy Reid.
Minnesota police arrest CNN reporter and camera crew as they report from protests in Minneapolis https://t.co/oZdqBti776 pic.twitter.com/3QbeTjD5ed
— CNN (@CNN) May 29, 2020
Jimenez, a graduate of attended Northwestern University, is a Hispanic who grew up in Kennesaw, Georgia. He received his journalism degree in 2015.
Update: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz apologized the arrests of the reporters.
