George Floyd: UK diplomats raise arrest of British journalists covering protests with US government

Downing Street stressed that Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had both condemned George Floyd's death
AP
Nicolas Cecil5 June 2020
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UK diplomats have spoken with American officials about the arrest of British journalists covering the protests in the wake of George Floyd's death, it emerged today.

Downing Street stressed that Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had both condemned his death, expressed concern over the violence which has erupted and emphasised the right of people to demonstrate peacefully.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The embassy in the US has raised the issue of the protests with the US administration including on behalf of some British journalists who were the subject of police action.

“We have said from the beginning of the protests that journalists must be free to do their job without fear of arrest or violence.”

The US has been rocked by 10 consecutive nights of protests
Getty Images

He added: “The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have both spoken publicly to condemn the death of George Floyd, to express concern at the violence that we have seen and to underline people’s rights to protest peacefully.”

More than 33 journalists have been arrested covering the anti-racism demonstrations, 143 assaulted, allegedly by police in most cases, and at least 35 have had equipment damaged, according to reports from press freedom campaigners.

Some are said to have been targeted by security forces using tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray.

A riot police officer reportedly charged his shield at a BBC cameraman near the White House in Washington DC on Sunday evening.

The Corporation’s Americas bureau chief Paul Danahar said the cameraman was “clearly identifiable as a member of the media”.

He added that the TV crew were following all directions from the police, with the incident happening before curfew and without warning or provocation.

New York-based photographer Adam Gray, from the UK, was also arrested on Sunday while covering the protests.

Among other journalists detained, a CNN news crew was arrested live on air and two Reuters journalists were shot at with rubber bullets as police sought to disperse demonstrators in Minneapolis after an 8pm curfew.

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