Seven News reporter to testify in US Congress over violent White House clash
Australian TV reporter Amelia Brace will testify before US Congress about being struck by police, to make way for a controversial appearance by President Donald Trump.
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Australian television reporter Amelia Brace will testify before US Congress on Monday about being struck by police outside the White House to make way for a controversial appearance by President Donald Trump.
Brace and cameraman Tim Myers were filmed being pushed with shields and struck with batons as riot police tried to clear the Lafayette Square area of protesters.
The US Correspondent for Seven News was in the middle of a live-cross with Sunrise detailing the chaos when the pair was assaulted again.
“We’ve been fired at with rubber bullets, my cameraman has been hit, we’ve also seen tear gas being used,” Brace said in the dramatic footage.
The crowd in which Brace was standing then started moving as they were pushed back, and a black clad-officer punched his fist into the camera Myers was holding.
Afterwards, Brace said: ”You heard us yelling there that we were media but they don’t care. They are being indiscriminate at the moment.”
“They do not care who they are targeting at the moment,” Brace said.
The incident came before Mr Trump and senior members of his administration posed for photos outside a historic church that had been vandalised the night before during demonstrations.
Reverend Mariann Budde, who described the incident as “outrageous”, will also appear before the House Committee on Natural Resources.
In a press release, the hearing was described as “the first formal congressional inquiry on the incident, which ended with President Trump’s now infamous photo op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church near the White House”.
“The hearing … will feature testimony from Amelia Brace of Australia’s Seven News, who was attacked by law enforcement despite clearly identifying herself and her cameraman; Kitten McDonald, a Navy veteran and Black Lives Matter protester wounded during the crackdown; and the Right Rev. Mariann Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, which includes St. John’s Episcopal Church,” the press release said.
Several investigations have been launched into the June 1 incident, which made international headlines, and the Park Service police who were filmed striking the Seven News crew were suspended.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for an investigation and US Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos liaised with Washington authorities.
“Our embassy in the United States will approach the relevant authorities, and Channel Seven will also provide us with their views on how they wish to deal with it,” Ms Payne said at the time.
Mr Trump spent only a few minutes outside the church after walking through the cleared area, which had been overrun with demonstrators for three days and continues to be the site of protests.
Brace has been approached for comment about her testimony, which will be live streamed and begins at noon, local time, in Washington DC.