Colombian police assaulted five journalists covering protests against President Abelardo de la Espriella’s administration between October 14 and 18, according to the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), a nonprofit press freedom monitoring organization. The incidents took place in the cities of Medellin, Ibague, and Bogota, FLIP reported on Thursday.

Thousands of protesters marched during the period against the right-wing government, which is backed by the United States. What began as largely peaceful demonstrations escalated into confrontations as night fell, with riot police deploying stun grenades, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse crowds.

FLIP expressed concern that law enforcement, whose role is to maintain security, instead posed a threat to journalists covering the unrest. The organization documented both physical assaults and arbitrary detentions of journalists in the course of their reporting.

Since taking office in August, President De la Espriella has maintained a contentious relationship with the press. His administration centralized control over public information within the president’s office, and government ministers have been prohibited from granting media interviews, further restricting access to official statements.

The recent actions against journalists occurred amid this broader context of limited press freedom and increasing tensions between the government and media outlets. Authorities have not publicly responded to the allegations of police misconduct during the protests.