Student journalists arrested while covering protest in Washington, detained over weekend

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two college newspaperphotographers, along with four other students, were arrested while covering theanti-war march held downtown on Saturday after they followed a group ofprotesters inside the World Bank headquarters and photographed them as theyraised havoc, said one student’s lawyer.During a court appearance today,the charges of unlawful entry brought against the students were dismissed,according to Robert Becker, who represented one of the students at the requestof the Washington, D.C., professional chapter of the Society of ProfessionalJournalists. If the students had been found guilty, the charges would havecarried a maximum penalty of six months in jail and $100 fine, he said. Prior totheir arraignment this afternoon, the students were detained in district jailsover the weekend. At least one camera was confiscated, but Becker said it hassince been returned.At around 3 p.m. on March 15, about 50 protestersbroke off from the permitted march route that circled the White House and headedto the World Bank headquarters near 18th and H streets NW, police told TheWashington Post. Metropolitan Police Department Public Information OfficerJoe Gentile was unavailable for comment by press time.Studentphotographers Caroline New, with The Daily Pennsylvanian at theUniversity of Pennsylvania, and Aaron Bernstein, with the Indiana DailyStudent at Indiana University, along with four other students, followed theprotesters and entered through an unlocked door into the lobby of the building, Beckersaid.Becker said the students photographed and videotaped 36 protestersas they “busted stuff up” in the lobby. As Metropolitan Police Departmentofficers approached, the protesters broke through a rear glass door and fled the scene,Becker said. The student photographers remained at the site where policeofficers handcuffed them and took them into custody. Both New andBernstein had press credentials issued by the Philadelphia Police Department andpresented them to officers when they entered the World Bank headquarters, Beckersaid. He said police officers said they could not honor the credentials becausethey were issued for a jurisdiction more than 100 miles away.