The North Star strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest of its journalist Ramona Murphy, which occurred yesterday at around 10:45 a.m. in front of the EY Center, during a demonstration against the militarist CANSEC trade show.

Murphy was covering the demonstration as a volunteer journalist. She was filming police actions when she found herself among the 13 people arrested. Threatened with baseless charges of mischief and resisting arrest, she was eventually released without charge. But only after about eight hours in custody, at around 6:45pm.

The facts are unequivocal: she was observing the course of events in order to inform the public. Distanced from the crowd, she had placed herself close to the action in order to film and document the actions of both the police and the demonstrators. Eyewitness accounts and live footage confirm her role as an observer. This did not stop the officers from arresting her, handcuffing her and taking her to the police station.

The disproportionate police presence (one officer for each protester, perhaps more) resembled more a strategy of intimidation than of maintaining order. Arresting a journalist, whether a volunteer or not, is a frontal attack on press freedom. These are the methods of an authoritarian regime, not a democracy.

The North Star demands an immediate explanation from the Ottawa police, as well as an official apology. We will not tolerate our journalists being repressed in this way for wanting to show what's disturbing.

Cover photo credit: Andy Tran