Back in the United States, a quieter but no less consequential battle is unfolding. The Freedom of the Press Foundation reported that jurisdictions across the country are banning personal protective equipment — helmets, goggles, gas masks — at public protests. Officials justify these bans in the name of public safety, arguing, for example, that masks pose security risks.
But for reporters who have been “shot with crowd-control munitions, sprayed with tear gas, hit with cars, and physically attacked by both law enforcement and demonstrators,” such equipment is essential. Organizations like Reporters Without Borders offer grants specifically so journalists can buy PPE. The bans, the foundation argued, don’t just endanger reporters — they threaten the public’s right to know what happens at demonstrations. If covering a protest means risking serious injury with no protection, fewer journalists will show up, and fewer stories will be told.
