A veteran New York City photojournalist who was arrested during a protest in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely on a subway, said her experience was ‘horrible’ and ‘painful.’ ‘We’re just doing our job and we should not be arrested,’ Stephanie Keith told Anadolu after she was released hours later in Manhattan on Monday. ‘We are not protesting, we are documenting the experience of police interacting with protesters. So, we are separate from that and we should not be arrested. We should be allowed to do our jobs.’ Keith was among several people arrested during a candlelight vigil for the homeless man who was choked to death on a subway train by a Marine Corps veteran. She said she is being accused of ‘disorderly conduct’ and ‘interfering with arrests.’ ‘I wasn’t interfering at all. I was standing shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues and we always maintain a very respectful distance,’ she said. Keith said her arrest was a ‘big deal’ after having worked in the city for about 20 years as a freelance photojournalist for top news organizations. ‘I go out on the street all the time, everybody knows me. And so this time, when I was arrested … a lot of people cared. I was shocked actually at how many news stories there were about it,’ she said. ‘But I was also so happy to feel that I am so respected and loved by my community.’ ‘I am hoping that my charges are dropped,’ she said. ‘Journalists should feel safe on the streets, not afraid.’ The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemned the arrest and demanded authorities drop the charges against Keith.
Source: Anadolu Agency