Journalists covering violent unrest on college campuses in the US have faced assaults, arrests, and restricted access as police cracked down on pro-Palestinian protesters. At some campuses, access has been limited to students only, making student journalists the primary source of news on the protests.
At the University of California, Los Angeles, reporters for the student-run newspaper The Daily Bruin were violently attacked during clashes. Student journalists were followed, slapped, and sprayed with irritants, with one reporter requiring emergency care after being assaulted.
Meanwhile, at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, three journalists were detained while covering campus protests, including a television news reporter who was arrested while filming the demonstrations.
At Columbia University in New York, journalists were prevented from covering the unrest as police officers in riot gear breached an academic building where demonstrators were barricaded, leading to over 100 arrests.
The violence against journalists comes amid clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counterprotesters, some of whom were supporting Israel. These incidents highlight the challenges faced by journalists reporting on contentious issues and the importance of student journalists in providing reliable coverage.
