And now moving from the unions to the media professional who cover their protests: us, the journalists.
But our next story is not from a reporter, but about one who was allegedly assaulted by police officers.
Vejea Alvarez, a reporter from Love News, was covering a protest by the nurses at the Northern Regional Hospital in Orange Walk when the security guard told him to leave, saying that he was not allowed in the compound.
Alvarez, wanting to complete his story, asked to speak with the Matron of the hospital, and was backed up by the president of the Nurses Association, Darrell Spencer.
But the security guard wouldn't allow it, and an officer on the scene called in reinforcements. That's when Alvarez was reportedly assaulted and detained on false charges. The young journalist explained that he has heard many stories of police brutality, and left traumatized after it happened to him.
Here's how he retold the series of events.
Vejea Alvarez, Reporter, Love News
"So now when one of the officers arrived, a sergeant Cob, he approach me and he said you guys have to leave, there is protocol, the matron already said that you guys can't be here, so he said we have to leave. So I'm trying to lobby with him and while doing that he threatened me saying that if we don't leave we will beat you, so I'm like beat me up, why would you beat me up. He got more aggressive and he started to use some atrocious language and he started to mentally abuse me. So, I'm like okay I'll leave. Upon leaving he still continues to threaten me and so I spun around and ask him what did I do. Right there and then he assaulted me. He grab me and push me in my chest and we got outside to the compound. So I'm like okay I will stay right here, because he said we can't be on the compound and so I was outside the gate. He said that we have to leave and I said no, I will stay right here. That's when he said that he will take me to the station, he said he will charge me for assault, that I punch him. So now I wasn't resisting arrest, I put out my hand for him to handcuff me and while put up my hands another officer came from behind and he was trying to grab me too. I said why does all of this is necessary, I am not resisting arrest. He continued mentally abusing me and he told me all kind of stuff that I'm nobody and we are nobody and the media is nobody. I continued answering him yes sir, no sir. He ask me for my address and I gave him, so he was like oh alright, yes now noh and he spun around and he punch me in my chest. I said officer I am handcuff. He said yeah I know. They started to threaten me that he is going to go and file a report at the hospital and get a medical form to say that I assaulted him and I injured him, so they are going to lock me up for the entire weekend."
But it didn't end there, and Alvarez reportedly endured more physical assaults by the officers. He also felt as though he was put at risk of catching COVID. He then alleges that the officer admitted to hitting him, but the OC allegedly ignored the comment and continued to threaten Alvarez with legal charges.
Vejea Alvarez, Reporter, Love News
"I was locked up for about 3-4 hours. When they took me to the cell, the other guy in there had on no mask. When I got to the station they didn't give me any hand sanitizer, they didn't take my temperature, nothing. They place me in the cell and left me in there for a couple hours and they took me to the OC's office and he was like why was I giving trouble and I was like no sir I was just trying to do my job and find out why they didn't want me to do my job. So the OC was like these are some of the coolest officers here and I don't think that they would do anything like that and I'm like what? He was like yes you assaulted the officer. The OC is telling me that I assaulted the officer and I was trying to explain myself, but sergeant Cob didn't want to give me any break, he insisted that I assaulted him and he would press charges if I didn't show them the video. I told them that I didn't have the video. He said that he will still press charges and that I was lucky."
"There were 3 of us in there and I ask the other officer: Sir, would you tell the OC that Mr. Cob assaulted me in the vehicle when I was handcuff? He was like no, he didn't saw that. So I told him that he didn't have any integrity and that he didn't belong in the force. So now when I told the guy that he does not have integrity, that's when officer Cob was like 'you see why I knocked him' and I will knock him again. So I watch him and I was like you just admitted you hit me. I said OC this man just admitted that he hit me and the next officer watch you lied. He was the one that tighten the handcuff and he was right beside me when the officer hit me."
Alvarez was eventually let go after the OC told him the officer would not press charges. However, he plans to press charges on the officer. He sustained minor injuries on his wrist from the handcuffs.
7news makes the strongest editorial condemnation of any arrest or detention of a journalist in the line of duty - covering a subject of urgent public interest in a public space. We call on the Ministry of Health, the NRH Administration, and the Commissioner of Police to investigate and discipline the officers involved for a serious breach of established norms and the exercise of freedom of the press.
