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Dozens of journalists covering anti-racism protests that have rocked the US have reported being targeted by security forces using tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray.

In many cases, they said it was despite showing clear press credentials.

Such attacks "are an unacceptable attempt to intimidate [reporters]", said the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based group.

Attacks on journalists carried out by protesters have also been reported.

The arrest of a CNN news crew live on air on Friday in Minneapolis, where unarmed black man George Floyd died at the hands of police, first drew global attention to how law enforcement authorities in the city were treating reporters covering protests that have descended into riots.

But over the weekend dozens of attacks on journalists and media crews across the country were reported on social media. In total the US Press Freedom Tracker, a non-profit project, says it is investigating more than 100 "press freedom violations" at protests in the last three days. About 90 cases involve attacks.

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On Saturday night, two members of a TV crew from Reuters news agency were shot at with rubber bullets while police dispersed protesters in Minneapolis defying an 20:00 curfew.

"A police officer that I'm filming turns around points his rubber-bullet rifle straight at me," cameraman Julio-Cesar Chavez said. Reuters said the Minneapolis Police Department had not commented despite being provided with video footage.

In Washington DC, near the White House, a riot police officer charged his shield at a BBC cameraman on Sunday evening.

The cameraman was "clearly identifiable as a member of the media", said the BBC's Americas bureau chief Paul Danahar. "The team had been following all directions from the police as they covered the protests in front of the White House. The assault took place even before the curfew had been imposed and happened without warning or provocation".

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On the same day, on the other side of the country in Long Beach, California, radio reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez said he had been shot in the throat with a rubber bullet by a police officer. The city's police chief told reporters on Monday that he wanted to investigate what happened, adding: "I do not want anyone from the media to get hurt."