blarzgh posted:

Committing a crime doesn't become not a crime because you call yourself a journalist.

I think the angle that you have intuitively hit on but not understood to ask is the notion of mens rea or intent. In your mind, your question is really whether the intent of why your are there is a defense to prosecution.

The answer is no. Ultimately, the question of intent is whether or not you intended to commit the act that was illegal. Your motivations for doing so are not relevant for criminal liability.

However, that intent might be mitigating factors in sentencing. Likewise, police and prosecutors with limited resources may decide that it's not particularly worth their time to pursue and prosecute somebody from "realnews /youtube.com" who's pretty obviously not participating in the 'festivities.'

Likewise, a judge and or a jury may find it compelling that one was simply there to observe, And may hand down a reduced sentence, or recommend probation from the bench.