New York, August 14, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the attacks on and brief detentions of journalists covering protests in Ferguson, Missouri, over the past week in reaction to the killing of teenager Michael Brown by the police. Two journalists were briefly detained on Wednesday and released without charge. Journalists have reported being attacked by police with tear gas and rubber bullets, and at least one journalist said he was intimidated and attacked by local residents, according to news reports.
“We are concerned by the detention and harassment of reporters trying to cover the news in Ferguson,” said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. “Journalists have a right to work freely on the streets of any American city, and authorities in Ferguson have a duty to ensure that they can do so there too.”