Amy Goodman arrested at the RNC

wtf?



Glenn Greenwald
Monday Sept. 1, 2008 19:28 EDT
Scenes from St. Paul -- Democracy Now's Amy Goodman arrested
(updated below - Update II - Update III)

Following up on this weekend's extreme raids on various homes, at least 50 people were arrested here today in St. Paul, Minnesota. Beginning last night, St. Paul was the most militarized I have ever seen an American city be, even more so than Manhattan in the week of 9/11 -- with troops of federal, state and local law enforcement agents marching around with riot gear, machine guns, and tear gas cannisters, shouting military chants and marching in military formations. Humvees and law enforcement officers with rifles were posted on various buildings and balconies. Numerous protesters and observers were tear gassed and injured. I'll have video of the day's events posted shortly.

Perhaps most extraordinarily, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now -- the radio and TV broadcaster who has been a working journalist for close to 20 years -- was arrested on the street and charged with "conspiracy to riot." Audio of her arrest, which truly shocked and angered the crowd of observers, is here. I just attended a Press Conference with St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Police Chief John M. Harrington and -- after they boasted of how "restrained" their police actions were -- asked about the journalists and lawyers who had been detained and/or arrested both today and over the weekend. They said they wouldn't give any information about journalists who had been arrested today, though they said they believed that "one journalist" had been, and that she "was seemingly a participant in the riots, not simply a non-participant." I'll have video of the Press Conference posted shortly.



http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/

has anybody heard anything else about this?
[Edited 9/1/08 20:21pm]

I don't know what happened here today - I was out of town and just got back in a few hours ago, but the stories coming in are crazy.

CarrieMpls said:

IrresistibleB1tch said:

CarrieMpls said:

the people arrested were MILITANTS. not people on the streets. And by looking at this it looks staged, because the camera angle was so good.

CarrieMpls said:

This is outrageous!!!!

We're living in a full-on police state!

Measure in Love
"May the voice of the child in you never stop speaking. May it fall like a gift from heaven, offering to dessicated words its splendorous burst of laugher, the salt of its tears, its all powerful wildness." Maurice Blanchot

WTF?????





This is outrageous and appalling to say the least!

Hello you're at the GOP convention?

Sadist meet Masochist.

Update: Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar Released After Illegal Arrest at RNC
September 01, 2008

Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar Released After Illegal Arrest at RNC

Goodman Charged with Obstruction; Felony Riot Charges Pending Against Kouddous and Salazar

ST. PAUL--Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar have all been released from police custody in St. Paul following their illegal arrest by Minneapolis Police on Monday afternoon.

All three were violently manhandled by law enforcement officers. Abdel Kouddous was slammed against a wall and the ground, leaving his arms scraped and bloodied. He sustained other injuries to his chest and back. Salazar’s violent arrest by baton-wielding officers, during which she was slammed to the ground while yelling, “I’m Press! Press!,” resulted in her nose bleeding, as well as causing facial pain. Goodman’s arm was violently yanked by police as she was arrested.

On Tuesday, Democracy Now! will broadcast video of these arrests, as well as the broader police action. These will also be available on: www.democracynow.org

Goodman was arrested while questioning police about the unlawful detention of Kouddous and Salazar who were arrested while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. Goodman’s crime appears to have been defending her colleagues and the freedom of the press.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were arrested on suspicion of rioting, a felony. While the three have been released, they all still face charges stemming from their unlawful arrest. Kouddous and Salazar face pending charges of suspicion of felony riot, while Goodman has been officially charged with obstruction of a legal process and interference with a “peace officer.”

Democracy Now! forcefully rejects all of these charges as false and an attempt at intimidation of these journalists. We demand that the charges be immediately and completely dropped.

Democracy Now! stands by Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and condemns this action by Twin Cities’ law enforcement as a clear violation of the freedom of the press and the First Amendment rights of these journalists.

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, including a photographer for the Associated Press.

Amy Goodman is one of the most well-known and well-respected journalists in the United States. She has received journalism’s top honors for her reporting and has a distinguished reputation of bravery and courage. The arrest of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and the subsequent criminal charges and threat of charges are a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists.

Democracy Now! is a nationally-syndicated public TV and radio program that airs on over 700 radio and TV stations across the US and the globe.

Video of Amy Goodman’s Arrest: http://www.youtube.com/wa...YjyvkR0bGQ

If you don't get arrested you're not protesting.

Something John McCain and Barack Obama agree on is that the federal government can now legally spy on citizens and expedite the raids and militant police actions of this weekend.

There is no doubt that the raids of this weekend on private homes were facilitated by our new "overhauled" FISA laws.

Perhaps we can have this "militant's" crime explained. Gassed while standing on the side of the road, not once, but twice.

http://www.indybay.org/up...pepper.mpg
[Edited 9/2/08 1:16am]

What the hell is going on???

applekisses said:

it does seem completely out of proportion.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

it does seem completely out of proportion.

journalists are being arrested. the cops and the FBI are making house arrests. i am not understanding what i'm reading here:

http://www.salon.com/opin.../protests/

http://www.salon.com/opin.../31/raids/

http://www.salon.com/opin...ice_raids/


this is some scary shit.

Welcome to the New World Order!

"Shake yer reptile, baby!"

Sorry if some of you may know or are related to cops. But these pig ass, punk ass, nazi bitches are fucking up my country. Free speech you fuckers!!

Free Amy!!

Free Amy!!

Fuck tha police.

Wave your wildsigns high!!

2freaky4church1 said:

Sorry if some of you may know or are related to cops. But these pig ass, punk ass, nazi bitches are fucking up my country. Free speech you fuckers!!

Free Amy!!

Free Amy!!

Fuck tha police.

Anxiety said:

IrresistibleB1tch said:

Anxiety said:

journalists are being arrested. the cops and the FBI are making house arrests. i am not understanding what i'm reading here:

http://www.salon.com/opin.../protests/

http://www.salon.com/opin.../31/raids/

http://www.salon.com/opin...ice_raids/


this is some scary shit.

isn't this straight out of Shock Doctrine?

Mars23 said:

Ive been talking about this stuff for months...and about the fact that we have fema camps already in place ready to go. If a real epidemic or crisis ever hits USA, you will see these militants dressed in black rounding up folk and placing them in fema camps....right now, the evacuees who left new orleans were each given an RFID bracelet to track them, RFID CHIPS will seen be used on the public or atleast they will try to.....some military men already have them implanted in them..

XxAxX said:

applekisses said:

This is outrageous!!!!

We're living in a full-on police state!

things here in minneapolis have changed substantially over the past ten years, dating back to the fortune 500 companies' invasion of the twin cities and subsequent job boom here in the metropolitan area.

the target corporation, for example, donated hundreds of surveillance cameras to the police dept and now the entire downtown area is heavily surveilled.

we have a long history of mafia activity here in the twin cities and the police have always been a little tougher than in many cities.... but in recent years this kind of oppression is becoming more and more common....

not saying all of the protestors were 'innocent' but still laws have been broken to pull this mess off
[Edited 9/2/08 4:38am]

Measure in Love
"May the voice of the child in you never stop speaking. May it fall like a gift from heaven, offering to dessicated words its splendorous burst of laugher, the salt of its tears, its all powerful wildness." Maurice Blanchot

applekisses said:

XxAxX said:

things here in minneapolis have changed substantially over the past ten years, dating back to the fortune 500 companies' invasion of the twin cities and subsequent job boom here in the metropolitan area.

the target corporation, for example, donated hundreds of surveillance cameras to the police dept and now the entire downtown area is heavily surveilled.

we have a long history of mafia activity here in the twin cities and the police have always been a little tougher than in many cities.... but in recent years this kind of oppression is becoming more and more common....

not saying all of the protestors were 'innocent' but still laws have been broken to pull this mess off
[Edited 9/2/08 4:38am]

Shoot - I'll stay in Detroit, thank you very much. We've got our problems, but over policing ain't one of them.
What you're describing sounds like "Enemy of the State"
If you see Will Smith running down the street, please tell him I love him.

Planting FBI informants into the groups and warrant-less home invasions by the police.

History is just repeating itself.