A new law in Louisiana makes it illegal for people—citizens and journalists alike—to get within 25 feet of police if ordered to back off. A story by ProPublica and Verite News notes that the state becomes the fourth to enact such a police buffer zone, following the lead of Arizona, Indiana, and Florida. The law went into effect at the start of August, and already it is the subject of a lawsuit from media organizations who say it violates the First Amendment. Supporters of the law disagree, saying modern zoom lenses make getting any closer unnecessary. And "that person can't spit in my face when I'm making an arrest," says state lawmaker Bryan Fontenot, a former police officer who sponsored the legislation. Critics of the new law include news photographer Cherri Foytlin.
"You can't even get an officer's badge number at 25 feet," says Foytlin. "So there's no way to hold anyone accountable." Foytlin was among a group of 13 protesters and two journalists who sued law enforcement after they were arrested during a protest over the 2016 police shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge. The city eventually paid more than $1 million over the arrests, and State Police settled for an undisclosed amount. The two journalists say they were taking photos of police slamming protesters to the ground, and the story explores the argument that the new law could result in reduced scrutiny of police actions during such protests. Read it in full here. (Or read other longform recaps.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
