From Democracy Now:
Call to Action on Behalf of DN! Journalists Facing Charges for Reporting on the Republican National Convention
“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.
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.”
(I’m a naughty blogger and am posting this the night of Sept. 3. But this is vital news. Check Democracy Now for updates.)
Amy Goodman tells us what happened.
Why We Were Falsely Arrested
“Government crackdowns on journalists are a true threat to democracy. As the Republican National Convention meets in St. Paul, Minn., this week, police are systematically targeting journalists. I was arrested with my two colleagues, “Democracy Now!” producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, while reporting on the first day of the RNC. I have been wrongly charged with a misdemeanor. My co-workers, who were simply reporting, may be charged with felony riot.
(snip)
I was at the Xcel Center on the convention floor, interviewing delegates. I had just made it to the Minnesota delegation when I got a call on my cell phone with news that Sharif and Nicole were being bloody arrested, in every sense. Filmmaker Rick Rowley of Big Noise Films and I raced on foot to the scene. Out of breath, we arrived at the parking lot. I went up to the line of riot police and asked to speak to a commanding officer, saying that they had arrested accredited journalists.
Within seconds, they grabbed me, pulled me behind the police line and forcibly twisted my arms behind my back and handcuffed me, the rigid plastic cuffs digging into my wrists. I saw Sharif, his arm bloody, his credentials hanging from his neck. I repeated we were accredited journalists, whereupon a Secret Service agent came over and ripped my convention credential from my neck. I was taken to the St. Paul police garage where cages were set up for protesters. I was charged with obstruction of a peace officer. Nicole and Sharif were taken to jail, facing riot charges.”
Amy Goodman Grills St. Paul Police Chief About Her Arrest and Two Democracy Now! Producers
“On Tuesday morning, St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington held a news conference where he spoke about the nearly 300 people arrested in a police crackdown on protesters a day earlier. Among them were several journalists covering the protests in the streets, including three of us at Democracy Now!—Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Amy Goodman questions Harrington about the arrests.
(snip)
Well, as for our case, we have been charged, Democracy Now! producers and I, with—I have been charged with a misdemeanor, obstruction of legal process and interference with a peace officer. Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar still face a charge of probable cause felony riot. We have yet to hear whether those charges will be dropped. The video of my arrest was the most viewed video on YouTube yesterday. You can go to our website at democracynow.org, where you can see that video, as well as Nicole Salazar videotaping her own violent arrest. Of course, she and Sharif had not gone to the protest to do that. They had gone to video what was taking place on the streets of St. Paul.”
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After reading of the arrests I told Mr. Radical-This is just McCain giving us a preview of what’s to come when he takes over the police state. Thoughtful of him really.
Posted by Vixen as News at 11:46 PM CDT