As pro-Palestinian protests intensify, student journalists face assaults and arrests, while police restrict access to media coverage

Violence has surged on college campuses across the United States as student journalists covering the escalating pro-Palestinian protests have faced assaults, arrests, and restricted access. The tensions have peaked with numerous confrontations between protesters, counter-protesters, and law enforcement, particularly at institutions like Columbia University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

At Columbia University, journalists encountered severe restrictions on Tuesday night. Police officers in riot gear stormed Hamilton Hall, where demonstrators had barricaded themselves, leading to over a hundred arrests. The restricted access left many journalists, particularly students, unable to cover the events unfolding within the campus buildings.

The situation was similarly dire at UCLA, where student journalists from The Daily Bruin reported being physically attacked. According to Anna Dai-Liu, the newspaper’s editor, several journalists were followed, slapped, and sprayed with irritants during the protests on Tuesday night. One reporter required emergency medical care following the assaults.

In Northern California, the crackdown on press freedom extended to professional journalists. At California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, three journalists, including a television news reporter from ABC affiliate KRCR, were detained by police while covering the demonstrations. Reporter Adelmi Ruiz described being zip-tied, arrested, and taken to jail, though she was later released after the sheriff apologized.

These incidents highlight a troubling trend of diminishing press freedom on college campuses, especially during crises when transparency is most crucial. At UCLA and Columbia, the role of student journalists has become increasingly significant as they often represent the only media presence able to report firsthand on campus events.

The violence on the campuses has not only impacted the journalists but also the broader student body and faculty, prompting institutions like UCLA to cancel classes in response to the unrest. The Daily Bruin’s editorial criticized the university’s leadership, accusing them of complicity in the violence against protesters and journalists alike.

Despite these challenges, student journalists have persevered, providing essential coverage of the events. At Columbia, despite restricted access, journalists like Julia Vargas Jones managed to report live for CNN with the help of fellow students, capturing critical moments of the police breach and subsequent arrests.

The ongoing campus protests and the associated violence against student journalists have raised significant concerns about safety and press freedom in educational settings. Legal experts and journalism advocates, including the Student Press Law Center and Columbia Journalism School Dean Jelani Cobb, have called for better protections for student journalists, emphasizing their vital role in maintaining transparency and informing the public during turbulent times.