Police arrest artist who stopped posting protest photos to shield activists from law

After weeks of photographing protests in Philadelphia, artist and activist Sammy Rivera declared last month that he would no longer post his work on Instagram to shield protesters who might be targeted by police investigating property damage and disorder during the city’s massive demonstrations.

“I myself have found and been sent various photos of myself at the protests posted by other photographers, which indicated to me how easy it could potentially be for others to be tracked down and arrested or worse,” he said in a post on his Instagram feed on 26 June.

His words were prophetic. Less than a week later, Mr Rivera was arrested along with five other people, including a teenager, for allegedly vandalising state police vehicles on 30 May. Mr Rivera did not immediately respond to a request for comment early on Monday.