We live in a society that is trying to convince us racism does not exist and all lives matter. If this were true then I would love to hear a justifiable reason for the arrests of news reporters Carlet Cleare and Justin Carter.

In Rochester, New York during a black lives matter protest while standing in a crowd full of reporters Cleare and Carter were handcuffed from behind with no warning and taken into custody. They were the only two reporters arrested and they were the only black reports in the crowd. At the time of their arrests, they were actively working as journalists’ live streaming footage for their station’s Facebook Live feed.

According to Democrat & Chronicle, the station’s manager, Chuck Samuels said, “We’re being criticized for pointing out that they’re African-American, but there were white reporters standing right there near them and had also been in the streets, and they were not handcuffed. Whether it was (racial profiling) or not, I don’t know. But how can you not raise the question?”

Of course it was racial profiling! The journalists and camera men and women wear badges or some type paraphernalia identifying them as reporters. Or maybe even simple dialogue with the reporters would have given the officers clarity as to who they were. But nope, the boys in blue continue to show us we have no rights. I’m curious, what was the cops’ “reason” for arresting them.

An apology was issued by the city’s mayor and chief of police but had these arrests lead to two mysterious deaths then what? Officers continue to make their own rules and are never held accountable for their irresponsible, unethically, and unlawful actions. The officers that arrested these reporters should be reprimanded and not with paid leave.  Until officers are held accountable for their actions to the fullest extent, unlawful arrests and murders of innocent black people will never stop.