SU alumna reports on Portland protests
Courtesy of Maranie Staab
At protests following the death of Daniel Prude in Rochester, SU alumna Maranie Staab photographed interactions between protestors and the police.
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Syracuse University alumna and independent journalist Maranie Staab has covered protests against police brutality and racial injustice around the country since May.
After covering the protests in Syracuse, Staab headed to Portland, Oregon at the end of July to cover the protests taking place there. She most recently covered demonstrations in Rochester.
Staab’s work from the Portland protests, as well as her coverage of other events, is displayed on Instagram and Twitter. Her posts from the month she spent in Portland, which include videos that show the excessive force police used on protesters and members of the press, document many aspects of her experience.
Staab spent a month in Portland, leaving at the end of August.
Staab spent a month in Portland, from the end of July through the end of August, where she faced excessive force and what she described as targeted attacks on the press by the police. Courtesy of Maranie Staab
“The Portland Police, as well as the federal officers, as well as the Oregon State Police, were not only indiscriminately using force on protesters, but they were also indiscriminately using force, as well as targeting members of the press,” Staab said. “I was arrested while working as a journalist, and on five separate occasions I was assaulted while clearly identified as a member of the press.”
John Rudoff, a photojournalist and friend of Staab, also said the police used excessive force toward protesters and the press during the protests.
A police officer shot a rubber bullet at Rudoff while he was wearing a vest that marked him as a member of the press, which is one reason he believes the police were intentionally targeting journalists. The police would come out “just to shoot anything that moved,” he said.
The rule of the press is to hold power to account. And that's exactly why I went, to see if and or how I could contribute to holding power accountable.Maranie Staab, Syracuse University alumna and independent journalist
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in July against the federal government in an attempt to stop police attacks on journalists and legal observers in Portland.
The protests were peaceful during the day, but people who wanted to escalate tensions with police came out at night, Staab said. That’s when the police became more violent with protesters, she said.
While she did occasionally go to the protests during the day, Staab focused on the events happening at night because she felt like they were not being covered enough.
Staab and Rudoff spent their nights with Emily Molli, a visual journalist. Rudoff introduced Staab and Mollie, and they shared an Airbnb for the time they were both covering the protests.
Molli and Staab have covered similar stories before, as they both tend to focus on social justice issues, including Black Lives Matter protests. During their time in Portland, Molli and Staab would meet up during the protests to check in on each other’s safety.
Staab is a thoughtful and caring friend, said Molli, who described their friendship as mutually supportive. One of Staab’s best qualities is her desire to understand other people and really get to know them, Molli said.
Staab’s posts on Instagram from the month she spent in Portland document many aspects of her experience, including videos that show the excessive force police used on protesters and members of the press. Courtesy of Maranie Staab
Staab cares about what she covers, and her work is genuine because she doesn’t just go to take photos and then leave like others do, Molli said. There’s a way for journalists to connect with the stories they’re covering, Molli said, and Staab knows how to do that.
“Her work shows that she’s covering these things, not for anything but the people involved in the stories themselves,” Molli said.
Rudoff said Staab “knows her mission” and follows it, regardless of any challenges she may face. Staab photographs deliberately and knows exactly what she wants to get out of the picture, he said.
After body camera footage of Daniel Prude’s death was released on Sept. 2, Staab went to Rochester in anticipation of protests and police retaliation. She didn’t know what to expect before going. In Rochester, police were also using force and less-lethal weapons against protesters, Staab said.
Staab doesn’t regret going to the protests. Her experiences in Portland made the importance of independent media clear to her. Every night, independent journalists were recording what was happening between protesters and the police.
“The rule of the press is to hold power to account,” Staab said. “And that’s exactly why I went — to see if and or how I could contribute to holding power accountable.”
Published on September 15, 2020 at 12:10 am
Contact Gavi: gavi@dailyorange.com | @gavi_azoff
