Minnesota State Patrol updates guidance on reporters during protests: no use of force, no seizing cameras

Credentialed members of the press can no longer be subject to Minnesota State Patrol dispersal orders, and troopers will halt the practice of photographing them before letting them go while covering protests and have been prohibited from taking other actions against the media.

The MSP began photographing journalists, their driver’s licenses and their press credentials amid widespread protests over police brutality and racial injustice. It was purportedly intended as a means to identify members of the press amid chaotic demonstrations that sometimes devolved into riots, but some members of the media reported authoritarian-like treatment. Order Granting Plaintiff's Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order by Fox News on Scribd Critics alleged that police were using retaliatory measures against journalists who covered the anti-police demonstrations, and the American Civil Liberties Union took the issue to court, resulting in a temporary restraining order.