Two journalists are among 15 people being charged with felonies after an ICE protest on the Roebling Bridge.
At a court hearing in Kenton County on Friday, July 18, a judge set bond for the people arrested and ordered them not to be on the Roebling Bridge.
Both journalists arrested by Covington police on July 17 work for CityBeat, a publication that covers news and entertainment topics in Cincinnati.
Reporter Madeline Fening and photo intern Lucas Griffith were both arrested, CityBeat publisher Tony Frank confirmed.
Fening and Griffith are charged with rioting in the first degree, a felony, and multiple misdemeanors.
Fening is an investigative news reporter with CityBeat who has worked at the publication since 2022, according to her LinkedIn profile. She previously worked for WCPO. She has reported on national issues that touch us locally including fentanyl overdoses, the local Amazon union drive, Ohio’s evolving abortion care landscape, LGBTQ+ rights, and police misconduct, according to her biography on the CityBeat website.
About 30 people were in the courtroom on July 18 for the hearings, which occurred over video.
Most of the defendants were not represented by lawyers. All have been charged with felony rioting and various misdemeanors. The felony carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.
The judge set all their bonds at $2,500 and has ordered them to return to their next hearing July 23.
Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders said his office will be investigating the incident. He said the county takes the safety of its officers very seriously and that he will review all the body camera footage from the incident.
Videos circulating on social media show officers subduing multiple people to the ground during the protest.
Lawyer Benjamin T.D. Pugh, who is representing some of the protesters, said at least three of the protesters were hospitalized. He said the Kenton County detention center has strict rules about accepting people with injuries.
The Enquirer will update this developing news report.
This story was updated to add a gallery.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2 journalists among 15 charged with felonies after Roebling Bridge ICE protest
Reporting by Cameron Knight and Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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