The 33-year-old bore personal witness to rising violence against journalists worldwide last year when he was punched in the face while documenting protesters rallying in support of former US President Donald Trump on the same day rioters stormed the US Capitol. Five people died in Washington, DC that day. Nelms was left with a bruised eye, a swollen cheek and the unsettling feeling that he had been attacked because of his profession. “Photojournalists are on the front lines of news and current events. That ultimately comes with a sometimes unknown level of hostility, which any photojournalist worth their weight is well aware of,” Nelms told the CBC. “However, in this case I was targeted simply because of my job and the cameras around my neck.”
Eagle-eye proves decisive
The man who punched Nelms, Chris Savva, pleaded guilty to assault in Vancouver Community Court on Friday — given a conditional discharge, meaning he will have no criminal record. The attack occurred on January 6, 2021, outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, where Savva was part of a small group gathered for a series of impromptu protests across North America. Ben Nelms tracked down the man who punched him at a rally a few months after the attack, and he and a fellow photojournalist were able to take pictures of him without a mask. (Darryl Dyck/THE CANADIAN PRESS) The BC rally was held in support of a doomed effort by Trump supporters to stop the certification of US President Joe Biden’s election victory. After Trump spoke at a rally near the US Capitol, crowds of protesters there overwhelmed police and forced their way into the building that serves as the heart of American democracy. The Crown asked that Savvas be given a suspended sentence. According to news reports, Savva’s lawyer claimed that his client was walking past the gallery when he noticed a confrontation between protesters and counter-protesters. He said Savva was not a member of any group. The judge said Savva could not have known that Nelms — who carries several camera bodies around his neck — was a journalist. Although the attack was witnessed by several other media outlets, the identity of Nelms’ assailant — who was masked — was not initially determined. As it turned out, the eagle eye of photojournalists proved instrumental in bringing the accused to justice when Nelms spotted Savva at another gathering at the art gallery several months later and Savva removed his mask long enough for Nelms to shoot him. and call the police.
“A very worrying trend”
Nelms was the 2019 Canadian News Photographer of the Year. At the time of the attack, Canadian News Photographers Association president Crystal Schick condemned the attack, calling epithets like “fake news” an undermining of professionals working to seek the truth. Ben Nelms was the 2019 Canadian News Photographer of the Year. (Ben Nelms) “A free press is essential to an informed public. Photojournalists, reporters and editors are committed to a code of ethics based on truth, accuracy, humanity and responsibility,” said Schick. “The attack on Mr Nelms highlights the growing challenge our colleagues face simply doing their jobs and this is not acceptable.” In a statement, CBC spokesman Chuck Thompson said the attack on Nelms was “consistent with a very troubling trend.” “Our journalists interact with the public as part of their jobs, but all too often they are exposed to unacceptable levels of harassment and abuse, both in person and online,” Thompson said. “This has become a new reality of working in journalism today, and it shouldn’t be. We are doing everything in our power to ensure our journalists can do their jobs safely, without threats or harassment.” As part of his sentence, Savva must complete 12 months of probation. Nelms says he lives with the knowledge of how real the threat of violence is every time he turns his camera. “Journalists should be free to keep their finger on the pulse of their city without having to fear hate-filled attacks,” Nelms said.
