Ellison opposes motion to exempt journalists from arrest during protests

[TexasTowelie]

The office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is opposing a motion that seeks to exempt journalists from arrest or use of force during protests.

In June, the ACLU sued law enforcement and the City of Minneapolis for allegedly targeting journalists trying to cover protests after the death of George Floyd, seeking damages for injured journalists and a temporary restraining order to ban law enforcement from using force, including tear gas and rubber bullets, against media. They said that police actions violated the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments.

Now, Ellison’s office is arguing that the court should deny similar motion from a group of journalists for a temporary restraining order against law enforcement in the wake of protests over the police killing of Daunte Wright. They say there is no precedent for First Amendment protection against a dispersal order.

“The media is not (and cannot be) exempt from dispersal orders,” according to a brief filed by Ellison’s office in its role as legal counsel for the Department of Public Safety. Law enforcement uses dispersal orders to force people to leave an area.

Read more: https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/ellison-opposes-motion-to-exempt-journalists-from-arrest-during-protests/