Chicago police must respect journalists’ rights at convention protests
The brutal Chicago police response to protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention was disastrous. As the city hosts another convention, during another unpopular war, police have a chance to get it right.
As journalists flock to Chicago to cover the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19-22, local police must allow the press to report on what’s happening inside and outside the event — even if tensions escalate.
In a highly politicized election cycle, characterized by the ongoing war in Gaza, protests are likely to be widespread and newsworthy. In an op-ed for the Chicago Sun-Times, Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) urged Chicago authorities to uphold the First and Fourth amendments and allow journalists to do their jobs.
As we explained, “The issue isn’t about putting journalists on a pedestal … When journalists aren’t watching, abuses of peaceful protesters are more likely. The public suffers by being uninformed. The only beneficiaries are officials looking to avoid accountability.”