Lawyer at Tampa ACLU meeting takes care of his own in Chicago

Attorney Mickey H. Osterreicher comes to the rescue of photographer Joshua Lott.

In a story filed on the NPAA's website, Osterreicher said that, outside of Lott being arrested, the Chicago police had been "very restrained" in dealing with photographers.


It has not been reported as of yet why Lott was arrested. He was one of approximately 45 people detained by Chicago police on Sunday as violence broke out at one point between police and protesters.


At the ACLU Forum, it was mentioned that Osterreicher might end up consulting with the Tampa Police Department about how to handle cameramen during protests.


At the forum at Stetson University's College of Law campus in Tampa, Osterreicher said he deals with photographers who are arrested on a nearly daily basis. He said historically there has always been tension between the police and the media, and that only increased with the Occupy movement last fall.


Osterreicher added, "I don't know how, but the war on terrorism has become somehow the assault on photography."

  • Freelance photographer Joshua Lott was arrested covering a protest in Chicago

Last month the ACLU of Florida hosted a panel discussion on the rights of protesters and the media in preparation for this summer's Republican National Convention in Tampa.

Among the guest panelists was Mickey H. Osterreicher, an attorney with the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA).

Osterreicher is in Chicago today as the NATO summit conducts its second day of business, and he was up late last night awaiting the release from jail of one of his own, a freelance photographer for Getty Images named Joshua Lott.

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