The law enforcement crackdown on protesters in Washington, D.C., became an international incident when an Australian news crew got caught in the mix.
After Network Seven cameraman Tim Myers was hit with a riot shield and punched in the face and reporter Amelia Brace was clubbed by a truncheon, and both were shot by rubber bullets and subject to tear gas or smoke, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison asked for an investigation, according to the Canberra Times.
The incident on Monday, which was caught on camera, took place as law enforcement cleared the way for President Trump to walk from the White House to nearby St. John’s Episcopal Church following a brief address in the Rose Garden, during which he threatened to send military troops to combat riots.
Police in #WashingtonDC attacking peaceful protestors and the media, including a news crew from Australia.
Police brazenly attacking foreign press members is why people are laughing at us, @realDonaldTrump – not the protestors. #WashingtonDCProtests pic.twitter.com/QSiv3hcjOL
— Brad Groux (@BradGroux) June 2, 2020
The Australian ambassador to the United States, Arthur Culvahouse Jr., released a statement in which he defended the freedom of the press.
“Freedom of the press is a right Australians and Americans hold dear. We take mistreatment of journalists seriously, as do all who take democracy seriously,” he said. “As Secretary Pompeo has stated, ‘At all levels, the Department of State works tirelessly to advance press freedom, and we honor those who have dedicated and even sacrificed their lives to sustaining democracy through journalism.’ We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting journalists and guaranteeing equal justice under law for all.”
Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP has ordered an urgent investigation into the police attack on a 7NEWS crew in Washington. https://t.co/cS7da3p0MI @Riley7News #auspol #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/0Cl1MZX9aw
— 7NEWS Australia (@7NewsAustralia) June 2, 2020
Bruce told Sunrise, an Australian breakfast show program, that she and her cameraman were “not too bad” but were “a bit sore.”
“We had the National Guard behind us and those police coming through so quickly, there was nowhere for us to go, so there was really no choice but to hide in that corner hoping they would pass by,” she added. “As you can see in those pictures, they did not.”
