Minneapolis police arrested a black CNN reporter live on air as he reported on the ongoing protests in the city.
Omar Jimenez and his crew were handcuffed and led away by law enforcement during a broadcast, despite them identifying who they are.
It comes after days of unrest which were sparked by video footage of a black man dying after a white police officer knelt on his throat.
“A CNN reporter and his production team were arrested this morning in Minneapolis for doing their jobs, despite identifying themselves — a clear violation of their First Amendment rights. The authorities in Minnesota, including the Governor, must release the three CNN employees immediately,” CNN said in a statement.
Watch the footage in full below:
This is unbelievable. Minneapolis police just arrested black CNN reporter Omar Jimenez live on air even after he identified himself. I’ve never seen anything like this.#GeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisRiot #omarjimenez pic.twitter.com/gSx1Kuxznm
— Asjad Nazir (@asjadnazir) May 29, 2020
The team have now been released from custody. Here’s what Jimenez had to say about the ordeal:
CNN’s @OmarJimenez and his crew have been released from police custody. He recounts getting arrested and what happened while they were in custody. https://t.co/v3kMq77Oro pic.twitter.com/JoqmwlTc5i
— CNN (@CNN) May 29, 2020
Related: This headline sums up the current situation in America
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