"They 100 percent knew we were press," Georgiades said.

When it comes to detaining journalists along with protesters, Preskey said Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier's "stance has been don’t violate the laws."

“Everyone was given the same directions, and journalists were treated just like anybody else. If they were committing a crime, breaking the law, they were arrested," she said.

Lucy Dalglish, dean of the journalism school at the University of Maryland and former executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said she's not surprised.

"Situations like this, everybody's really nervous. Everybody's tense. Everybody's just waiting for somebody else to behave really badly, and they're scared," she said.

Dalglish recommends journalists follow police orders and stay away from people who are committing acts of violence.

"A police officer sees a situation where rocks are flying or somebody is getting punched, they are not going to take the time to look at the press pass around your neck and say, 'Oh, you,'" she said.