A federal judge on Thursday temporarily barred U.S. agents from arresting or using physical force against journalists and legal observers at the ongoing protests and riots in Portland, Oregon.
Large crowds gathered near the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse on Thursday night, chanting and holding slogans.
“The free press is the guardian of the public interest, and the judiciary is the guardian of the press,” Simon said during a hearing earlier on Thursday, quoting case law from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The federal judge had previously ruled that journalists and legal observers are exempt from police orders requiring protesters to disperse once an unlawful assembly has been declared. Federal lawyers intervened, saying journalists should have to leave when ordered.
It comes as part of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, among several others, in response to law enforcement actions during the unrest. The non-profit organization’s attorney, Matthew Borden, submitted statements from journalists, photojournalists, and legal observers who say they were injured by munitions fired by federal officers outside the federal courthouse in recent weeks.
“These are not accidents. These are not inadvertent shots,” Borden said. “These are acts of intimidation by a tyrant and they have no place in the city of Portland and they have no place in this country.‘’
Responding to the ruling, Jann Carson, ACLU of Oregon’s interim executive director, said the order marked a “victory” for the rule of law.
Simon said objections by law enforcement were outweighed by First Amendment concerns.
“None of the government’s proffered interests outweigh the public’s interest in accurate and timely information about how law enforcement is treating protesters,” Simon wrote in his ruling.
Simon said journalists and legal observers must wear clear identification. If federal officers or supervisors intentionally disregard his 14-day order, they may be held liable, he said.
The judge ordered Thursday that his order be distributed to Attorney General William Barr, the acting Homeland Security secretary, and all employees, officers, and federal agents currently deployed in Portland, within 24 hours.