[meowface]

This doesn't make much sense. They would just interview the journalists after the event, and maybe do some follow-up interviews with a few. They wouldn't tag their passports for increased screenings, interrogate them at every border crossing, etc. They're treating the journalists like they helped organize the violence.

To me it just seems like a way to harass and disrupt journalists trying to closely cover the story.

[thinkcontext]

Don't forget the part about going through their devices.

[azeotropic]

The part where journalists insinuated their devices might have been searched but admitted it didn't look like anyone had touched them?