{"id":30334,"date":"2016-05-19T16:29:45","date_gmt":"2016-05-19T23:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/?p=30334"},"modified":"2016-11-10T11:19:03","modified_gmt":"2016-11-10T18:19:03","slug":"assault-on-journalists-doing-their-job-is-unacceptable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/assault-on-journalists-doing-their-job-is-unacceptable\/","title":{"rendered":"Assault on journalists doing their job is unacceptable"},"content":{"rendered":"

[su_label type=”info”]Staff Editorial[\/su_label]<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A screenshot of Guardsman photographer Natasha Dangond being struck by Sheriff\u2019s Deputy Osha during a protest at City Hall on May 6. Video by Cece Carpio.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anyone who reads El Tecolote regularly will know how frustrated our community is with San Francisco law enforcement, and they will know the reason why.\u00a0 <\/span>We have devoted extensive coverage in our pages to the fatal shootings of Alex Nieto, Amilcar Perez-Lopez, Mario Woods and most recently Luis Gongora\u2014all of whom were men of color, and all of whom were killed by SFPD officers.<\/p>\n

No disciplinary action has been taken with any of the officers involved in the shootings, and yet controversy has swirled around each of the incidents, with the SFPD account (which is always that lethal force was necessary because officers\u2019 lives were threatened) proving inconsistent with independent autopsies, or eyewitness accounts, or both.<\/p>\n

Following the death of Gongora on April 7, community frustration boiled over into action, a group of activists later dubbed the \u201cFrisco 5,\u201d denounced the SFPD and declared that they would take no solid food until Chief Greg Suhr was fired.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the strike there were multiple demonstrations of community solidarity, which drew hundreds of demonstrators, several included marches to City Hall to petition the mayor directly.<\/p>\n

During one such demonstration on the night of May 6 protesters clashed with the San Francisco Sheriff\u2019s Department at City Hall. Sheriff\u2019s deputies arrested 33 demonstrators who were lawfully expressing their discontent and, in a fit of authoritarian passion, attempted to intimidate reporters who were covering the melee.<\/p>\n

Deputies assaulted at least four journalists (two who were El Tecolote staff photographers), even though their press credentials were plainly visible. Sana Saleem of 48hills was reportedly shoved against a desk, sustaining bruised ribs, even after she repeatedly identified herself as a member of the press.<\/p>\n

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@sanasaleem<\/a> from @48hills<\/a> pushed into desk by sheriff’s deputies at #Frisco5<\/a> #hungerforjusticesf<\/a> rally pic.twitter.com\/VzwPnv66tc<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Joe Rivano Barros (@jrivanob) May 7, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n