Comment on: "Judge orders Seattle Times, four TV stations to give photos, videos of protests to police", Washington Post, July 24, 2020

The is a very good decision. 

I am all in favor of raising awareness of persistent discrimination against minorities and police misconduct. 

However, the same stringent standards applied against police misconduct by a very small minority (body-cams, transparent and stringent review and prosecution of police misconduct) should and must be applied vis-a-vise the "protesters", infiltrated by chaotic looters and arsonists.

The MLB movement condemn entire police departments for the terrible behavior of a few. In the same way, the legitimate protesters could be blamed for the misconduct of the few which infiltrate the protests. The police in many jurisdictions are required to wear and activate body-cams to document possible misconduct. Since we cannot require protesters, and especially the criminal elements which infiltrate them, to wear body-cams, it is only appropriate that all available evidence, including news videos (in addition to normal surveillance video) be available to prosecute the criminals giving a bad name to the legitimate protests.

Our (Seattle's) Major is largely responsible for the continued violence, burning and looting in Seattle, as she explicitly stated that "misconduct" during protests should not be prosecuted, that the infamous "summer of love" should just be allowed to deteriorate unabated. Our Police Chief and Fire Chief (both African-American) are the only ones with any consistency and common sense. 

Our City Council, favoring reduction of the police budget by 50%, is completely bonkers.