Arrests at the Republican National Convention

[Jim V]

Bit spammy from me but i have been pretty staggered by the lack of any mainstream coverage of the arrests and police actions as the Republican National Convention, including the arrest of Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, two of their producers and others.

Here's a link to the video of the arrest of Amy Goodman -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ

She now faces being charged with riot related felony crimes. So the question I have is, watching that video - can see anything that looks like a crime?

Here's their blurb in full - and yes, I know it is a bit spammy
http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2008/9/3/call_to_action_on_behalf_of_dn_journalists_facing_ charges_for_reporting_on_the_republican_national_c onvention


Today it is critical that you make your voice heard in the Ramsey County Attorney and St. Paul City Attorney offices. Demand that they drop all pending and current charges against journalists arrested while reporting on protests outside the Republican National Conventions.

Democracy Now! Host Amy Goodman was arrested while questioning police about the unlawful detention of Producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, who were arrested while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention.

The Ramsey County Attorney?s office is in the process of deciding whether or not to press felony P.C. (probable cause) riot charges against Democracy Now! Producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Please contact Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner by all means possible to demand that her office not press charges against Kouddous and Salazar.

Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner
RCA at co.ramsey.mn.us (cc: dropthecharges at democracynow.org)
651-266-3222

Susan Gaertner for Governor
info at susangaertner.com (cc: dropthecharges at democracynow.org)
(612) 978-8625
(612)804-6156

The St. Paul City Attorney?s office has already charged Amy Goodman with misdemeanor obstruction of a legal process and interference with a peace officer. Contact St. Paul City Attorney John Choi by all means possible to demand that the charges against Goodman be dropped immediately.

St. Paul City Attorney John Choi
john.choi at ci.stpaul.mn.us (cc: dropthecharges at democracynow.org) (651) 266-8710

During the demonstration in which the Democracy Now! team was arrested, law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force against protesters and journalists. Several dozen demonstrators were also arrested during this action, as was a photographer for the Associated Press.

IMPORTANT
Be sure to cc: dropthecharges@democracynow.org on all emails so that our team can deliver print outs of your messages to the St. Paul City Attorney and Ramsey County Attorney offices.



Guess I'm struck by the fact that everyone spent so long complaining about China's actions to it's journalist but this kind of thing doesn't even get a mention on the BBC

[El Gringo]

There's very little coverage (http://news.google.com/news?svnum=10&as_scoring=r&ned=uk&hl=en&ned=uk&aq=f&nolr=1&q=protests+republican+convention+location%3Auk&btnG=Search) of the protests themselves in UK mainstream media- here's the little I found in a New Statesman article:

"The ever-present, ever-visible Republican apparition that has been actor Jon Voigt then showed up and was surrounded by the press corps. "We need an America that is going to be strong and safe," he said, and I switched off involuntarily. Up popped then to give him a hug and kiss the Congresswoman from Minnesota's 6th district, Michele Bachmann. It was all very lovely dovey. "Minnesota loves Jon Voight," she beamed into the cameras.

The local channel 5 Eyewitness News was asking the normal round of boilerplate questions which she seemed happy answering. "She's a strong, independent woman," she said, talking about guess who. Then this: "We are really showcasing our state well, people will come back because they are wowed by Minneapolis-St. Paul." I couldn't let that go, so I barged in on the interviewed and asked her what she thought of the police behaviour vis-à-vis the protesters.

Her face dropped. "The police behaviour?" she said. "Well, I hope they bought law and order to the situation, because it was criminal what was going on downtown, not called for, certainly not representative of local Minnesotans." I mentioned that journalists were being arrested for covering the protests. "Well, I don't know anything about that," she said, and moved on quickly."

http://www.newstatesman.com/north-america/2008/09/republican-convention-jon-paul

[Flashman's Ghost]

It starts with her arrest - so you can't tell what went on beforehand, she may have been abusive, incititment to riot

Now it may be tough on her, but I don't think that the US peelers are picking up journos willy-nilly (I suspect that they wouldn't have a clue who she is actually is), but there does seem a trend among journos which is that they think they are above the law.

And yes it is awfully spammy - giving just one side of the story, but the misnamed 'Democracy Now' group, who are not 'independent' journalists as they claim, but a group with a strong political agenda. Whatever things are said about the BBC and even Channel 4, at least they make attempts at impartiatlity.

[Martin_Bashir]

And yes it is awfully spammy - giving just one side of the story, but the misnamed 'Democracy Now' group, who are not 'independent' journalists as they claim, but a group with a strong political agenda.

Rubbish, utter nonsense - if you can give me some examples of stories they have reported that have been fabricated or distorted then I'll go with you but otherwise this is just another case of you taking the establishment side and making a priori excuses for unacceptable behaviour.

To describe this as spammy is ridiculous, its no more spammy than your constant attempts to undermine and cast doubt on the sincerity of any protest or challenge to established authority without any evidence. I challenge you to PROVE what you are saying about Democracy Now, to give at least some precedent evidence of Amy Goodman acting unprofessionally or in a way that is misleading or willfully deceitful.

Go on, I'd love to see you try.

(p.s: you can ask me for any amount of evidence you like, current and historical, for the police's actions at the RNC being part of a continuous policy which has remained the same throughout this decade).