The U.S. National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) joined with several other journalism organizations to call on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to "focus attention" on protecting the right of journalists and citizens to document protests and record police activities in public places.

The groups say that American police have made an alarming number of arrests -- 70 since last September, according to Free Press, one of the coalition groups -- of journalists and citizens documenting Occupy protests.

In addition to the NPPA, the coalition that issued the statement includes Free Press, Access, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the New America Foundation, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Reporters Without Borders, and Witness.org.