Persona non grata

Los Angeles, California. July 1, 2021.

Independent videographer Sean Beckner-Carmitchel was arrested while filming a homeless camp cleanup operation. 

Journalist identified himself as press to the officer and attempted to explain why he needed somewhere to observe the operation. While the officer was placing him under arrest, the officer deliberately threw his phone to the ground.

Beckner-Carmitchel told he has been documenting such cleanup operations, which aim to remove trash and encourage unhoused populations to seek out shelters, for four months as the city has responded aggressively to a rise in homelessness in the county.

Authorities in Los Angeles decided to destroy the camp because of the rise in homelessness on their area. Brilliant solution.