MNSPJ condemns St. Paul police attacks on journalists

The Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists strongly condemns attacks on journalists by law enforcement on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, during a federal operation in St. Paul. 

At least three local photojournalists were injured by less-lethal munitions deployed by St. Paul police officers while covering the story. One was transported to the hospital in an ambulance. All three journalists were clearly identified as press with badges and/or vests, in addition to having cameras in hand, clearly at work. All three photojournalists and multiple other local journalists on scene were also injured by chemical irritants.

Kerem Yücel, with MPR News, was hit by a less-lethal munition in the shoulder and was transported to a hospital by ambulance. He has since been released and is recovering. Tim Evans, a freelance photojournalist with Reuters, was struck in the stomach with a pepper ball round. Aaron Nesheim, a photojournalist with Sahan Journal, was struck in the head with a pepper ball round. Evans and Nesheim did not require hospitalization. 

The three journalists hit by munitions shared with MNSPJ that they believe they were targeted by law enforcement for doing their jobs. Photojournalists are on the frontlines of documenting history and it is imperative that they are kept safe and their First Amendment rights are protected.

Attacking journalists sends a message to both journalists and everyday citizens that their First Amendment rights will not be respected. The First Amendment protects the rights of journalists to report on their communities and provide information that communities need — information that, on Tuesday, was not transparently available from any law enforcement agency.

We demand answers from St. Paul city leadership about why the city’s police department attacked our colleagues and a commitment to seeing that this will never happen again.

MNSPJ will continue to monitor protests and collect evidence of mistreatment of journalists to advocate on their behalf. Please reach out to minnesota.spj@gmail.com to share any related experiences.