Government-issued Press Credential Didn’t Stop Arrest, G20 Photog Says
Toronto-based photojournalist Brett Gundlock, who was arrested by police while photographing G20 protesters over the weekend, says his government-issued press credential was clearly visible to the officers who took him into custody on Saturday evening. A photograph taken by a Reuters photographer at the scene even shows his visible badge during the arrest, he says.
Gundlock also said he held the press badge up and pointed it out to police before he was wrestled to the ground and cuffed with zip ties.
After being charged with obstructing a peace officer and unlawful assembly, Gundlock and a colleague were released on bail. The conditions of Gundlock’s bail prevent him from attending or photographing protests until July 2, and he’s not permitted to go into downtown Toronto until Monday, July 4, he told PDN. He is scheduled to appear in court in August.
Gundlock added that seven photojournalists he knows were arrested or detained over the last weekend, when more than 900 demonstrators were detained. According to reports, the mass arrests are the largest in Canadian history.
Today Gundlock posted some of the photographs he took of the protests on his blog, here. They show violent protesters, vandals and looters, and include a photograph of a police cruiser on fire.
Related: Photojournalists Arrested in G20 Clash
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June 30th, 2010 at 9:11 am
This is a travesty.
I understand that the Police were facing a serious problem, but to arrest peoople with Press Credentials – issued by the government – is outrageous.
July 4th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Seriously…… “his government-issued press credential was clearly visible to the officers who took him into custody on Saturday evening”. What crap all the images of Brett being arrested dont show his credentials in hand. And in another story he said himself he did NOT have them visible because he was trying get close to the “Black Bloc”. So what it is Brett… can’t have it both ways.