Herald Sun photographer and Head On Photo Festival exhibitor, Jake Nowakowski, was arrested while documenting an anti-vax protest on Saturday, February 20. Read more in Will Shipton’s piece for Inside Imaging:
“In what’s been described as an ‘appalling misuse of power’ by the Sunday Herald Sun‘s editor, Nowakowski was arrested alongside reporter, Olivia Jenkins, at Fawkner Park, where demonstrators encountered police. The pair were both wearing Herald Sun media accreditation cards, and informed the police they were journalists but were arrested anyway.
‘In the past 12 months, Victoria Police has seen an increase in hostile and at times violent protests throughout the state,’ a Victoria Police spokeswoman said in a statement. ‘(Saturday’s) protest at Fawkner Park was no different and during a very dynamic situation, a journalist and photographer were caught up with the protesters and arrested.”
Jake has significant experience documenting protests in Australia. In 2020, his Head On Photo Festival exhibition, Neo Pride, documented four years of violent race rallies in Melbourne. In Neo Pride, he captured the rise of far-right/anti-immigration groups and the enthusiastic opposition they encountered from anti-racism campaigners.
Head On Foundation has also featured Jake’s work in the exhibition Paper Tigers, featuring 60 of Australia’s best photojournalists, and as a finalist in the Head On Photo Awards.
