Australian ambassador to the United States, Arthur Sinodinos, has been requested by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to provide support to two Channel 7 journalists who were attacked by riot police in the United States.
The two journalists, live on the Channel 7 Sunrise program, were among the members of the news media covering the demonstration as President Trump threatened a crackdown on protests.
Shortly before a 7 p.m. curfew went into effect in Washington, officers in riot gear and National Guard soldiers started to disperse the crowd.
An officer slammed into an Australian camera operator, Tim Myers, with a riot shield, knocking his camera to the ground. As Mr. Myers and his colleague, the reporter Amelia Brace, started to run, another officer appeared to swing a baton at Ms. Brace’s back.
When Ms. Brace came back into view, she said: “You heard us yelling there that we were media, but they, they don’t care.”
Brace said later: “I actually managed to get a rubber bullet to the backside and Tim got one in the back of the neck so we’ll have a few bruises tomorrow but we’re perfectly safe”.
Mr. Sinodinos said in a statement to that he was providing consular support to the two journalists, both of whom are Australian citizens.
“We are providing consular support to the Australian citizens involved and my team will continue to check on their wellbeing,” Arthur Sinodinos said.
“I understand that Channel Seven will make a formal police complaint asking to have the matter investigated.
“We are in discussion with the State Department and they have offered assistance to identify where the complaint should be targeted.
“Australia is always supportive of people’s right to peaceful protest and we encourage all involved to exercise restraint and to avoid violence.”
The Australian Prime Minister demands an investigation into how police officers treated the two Australian journalists.
A spokesman for Channel 7, Craig McPherson, said in a statement to The New York Times that the attack on Mr. Myers and Ms. Brace was “nothing short of wanton thuggery.”
Demonstrators had gathered outside the White House to protest the death of George Floyd in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis.
