•HRES 1009 IH 
Whereas the United States has experienced mass protests in 
cities and communities around the Nation following the 
killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis on May 
25, 2020; 
Whereas Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to 
Protect Journalists, wrote that ‘‘Covering protests and 
demonstrations is vital, both in order to inform the public 
about the demands of the protesters and also to hold offi-
cials accountable’’; 
Whereas, as of June 4, 2020, the U.S. Press Freedom Track-
er, a nonpartisan website managed by the Freedom of the 
Press Foundation, has received reports of more than 300 
reports of press freedom violations committed against 
journalists covering the demonstrations nationwide; 
Whereas these cases include instances of journalists and 
media workers being specifically targeted by law enforce-
ment with tear gas, pepper spray or pepper balls, or rub-
ber bullets despite displaying press credentials and identi-
fying themselves as members of the press; 
Whereas, on May 29, 2020, police in Minneapolis shot a rub-
ber bullet at the face of a freelance writer and photog-
rapher, permanently blinding her in one eye; 
Whereas, on May 30, 2020, Minneapolis police fired tear gas, 
pepper spray, and concussion grenades directly at mul-
tiple journalists and photographers; 
Whereas, on May 31, 2020, Seattle police fired projectiles di-
rectly at an MSNBC reporter and camera crew; 
Whereas, on May 31, 2020, a KPCC/LAist reporter was shot 
in the throat with a rubber bullet by Long Beach police; 
Whereas, on June 1, 2020, an Australian reporter and cam-
era operator were struck by Federal law enforcement as 
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•HRES 1009 IH 
they covered a demonstration outside the White House in 
Washington, DC, leading to a formal request by the Aus-
tralian Ambassador for a police investigation; 
Whereas the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has identified more 
than 49 instances of journalists and media workers being 
arrested at protests as of June 4, 2020; 
Whereas, on May 29, 2020, CNN reporter Omar Jiminez, an 
African-American and Latino journalist, was arrested in 
Minneapolis while reporting on camera, despite displaying 
his press credentials and offering to comply with police 
directives; 
Whereas, on May 29, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada, two 
photojournalists were arrested while working and charged 
with the misdemeanor of ‘‘failure to disperse’’, before 
being released a day later; 
Whereas, on May 31, 2020, an NPR affiliate reporter, a 
Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, and a Wilmington News- 
Journal reporter were arrested despite having identified 
themselves as press; 
Whereas some cities and States have imposed curfews in a 
bid to contain the demonstrations, some of which have 
turned violent, but not all of the curfew orders have ex-
plicitly exempted members of the press; 
Whereas journalists have a vital role to play in documenting 
and reporting on the protests and must be able to freely 
cover these events without fear of retaliation from au-
thorities; and 
Whereas freedom of the press— 
(1) is a key component of democratic governance, 
activism in civil society, and socioeconomic development; 
and 
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•HRES 1009 IH 
(2) enhances public accountability, transparency, 
and participation in civil society and democratic govern-
ance: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) expresses support for the First Amendment- 
protected right of journalists to report on events in 
the public interest, including protests and dem-
onstrations against police brutality; 
(2) believes journalists perform an essential role 
in safeguarding democratic values by keeping the 
public informed about issues of national and local 
concern and ensuring transparency and account-
ability; 
(3) calls on State, local, and Federal law en-
forcement to protect the freedom of the press and 
refrain from targeting journalists and media work-
ers; 
(4) calls on government entities to clarify that 
credentialed press are exempt from curfews enacted 
in response to protests and public demonstrations; 
(5) stresses the need for accountability where 
law enforcement entities or protesters violate the 
Constitution, laws, or regulations in their treatment 
of journalists and media crews during protests; and 
(6) reaffirms the centrality of freedom of the 
press in the United States and around the world to 
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support democracy, expose corruption, and promote 
good governance. 
Æ 
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