Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called on the country's embassy in Washington to investigate the violent actions of US police officers toward the Australian journalists who were covering the protests provoked by the death of African-American George Floyd in US police custody, the 7News broadcaster reported on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2020) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called on the country's embassy in Washington to investigate the violent actions of US police officers toward the Australian journalists who were covering the protests provoked by the death of African-American George Floyd in US police custody, the 7News broadcaster reported on Tuesday.
On Monday, 7NEWS US correspondent Amelia Brace and cameraman Tim Myers were attacked by police officers during their coverage of riots near the White House in Washington. Earlier, Australian correspondents of the 7News and 9News tv channels were attacked and searched by police in Minneapolis during two different incidents in which anti-racism riots had broken out.
The Australian Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance has sent a letter to the US ambassador in the country condemning the aggressive actions of the law enforcement authorities.
Several similar incidents involving police violence against journalists covering the ongoing US riots have been reported over the past few days. Mikhail Turgiyev, a journalist from RIA Novosti, a branch of the Rossiya Segodnya Agency that also includes Sputnik, was pepper-sprayed in the face by police on Sunday, despite presenting his press credentials.
Mass demonstrations across the United States erupted against police brutality and racism starting on May 25, after Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old African American man, died in police custody in the US city of Minneapolis. Some protests have turned into violent riots that include arson and widespread looting. The protests broke out after a video surfaced showing white police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes before becoming unresponsive.
