SAG-AFTRA condemned ICE’s “illegal and excessive tactics” against journalists on Tuesday after CBS Chicago journalist Asal Rezaei was attacked with pepper spray Sunday while driving near the Broadview, Illinois, immigration facility.
“A free press is the bedrock foundation of journalism, and attacks such as these, whether by law enforcement, in war zones or militarized federal agents, strike at the heart of this fundamental American value,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “Journalists must be allowed to do their jobs of keeping the public informed, free from assault.”
The union continued: “Unprovoked, violent attacks against journalists must never be glossed over or normalized. We condemn the use of illegal and excessive tactics and demand this incident be thoroughly and independently investigated.”
CBS News Chicago reported over the weekend that Rezaei — a WBBM TV reporter and SAG-AFTRA member — was injured by a pepper ball fired at her vehicle by an ICE agent as she arrived to cover potential activity at the Broadview facility on Sunday.
In an interview with CBS News, Rezaei explained that she had turned around and was driving away from the ICE facility when, from about 50 feet away, an ICE agent “pointed his weapon and shot directly at my car, he saw my window was open.”
“A lot of it went inside my car and on my face, I immediately felt it burning. I started throwing up,” Rezaei said.
The Village of Broadview Police Department have since launched a criminal investigation into the incident,” according to SAG-AFTRA.
Watch the report from CBS Chicago in the video below:
