Amy Goodman, journalist from Democracy Now, was arrested today by the RNC Stormtroopers. This is in addition to the raids on meeting places for people gathering to protest outside the Republican National Convention (RNC). http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/09/01/protests/
I guess that from the Republican point of view, the change we need is the shreading of the Bill of Rights (except for the Second Amendment).
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
After watching the video below, of Amy Goodman’s arrest, can anyone tell me exactly what she did to get arrested?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ[/youtube]
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
There were some protests and arrests at the Democratic National Convention. All of the arrests occurred when protestors disrupted traffic or assaulted police. There were no preemptive raids on protestors, no arbitrary seisures of property, no bogus warrants. Of course, the protestors in Denver were protesting Democrats, not Republicans.
Here is more video from the RNC.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ougH8G6UnkI[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0UUsdCx3Qg[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRsZ8h8YD0c&NR=1[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNUnaUbAOHU[/youtube]Â
Stupid in Public?
“After watching the video below, of Amy Goodman’s arrest, can anyone tell me exactly what she did to get arrested?”
Chris,
Not knowing more than what is in the video makes it hard to speculate — but, in general the media DOES NOT have unlimited access to incident scenes in spite of what you might think. The media does have rights to gain assess to incidents to the maximum extent possible but it is not an unlimited right.
Generally, when media access is restricted there will be a media center set-up where the press can gather to receive information and take their pictures, etc.
Likely, the receipt of a media credential for the RNC came with terms and conditions of use which included limitations of where and when access to the media will be denied or restricted. In addition, the media credential likely also came with special access to designated areas and entrances to make their job easier to accomplish.
I would say that an experienced media person faced with an officer restricting access would have IMMEDIATELY started to demand to meet with a press information officer or command level staff in order to get the access they deemed so necessary.
FYI, in my experience most legitimate press know what the rules are, don’t abuse them.
Most legitimate media types want to get the story without being a part of it.
Was this a set-up???
Book her Dano…
I just finished listening to Dr. Ron Paul at his convention at Staples Center in Minn.
Freedom was the centerpoint of his speech.
http://www.CampaignForLiberty.com
btw – IMPORTANT Redux –
See how your favorite/ least favorite legislators voted on major freedom altering legislation:
Senate: 90 – 9 – 1
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00249
House: 295 – 132 – 6
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll367.xml
Hey Sarge,
Amy Goodman is a very well known and respected journalist.
Not knowing more than what was in the video, it seems as if it were easy, not hard, for you to speculate. Including the speculation that a well-known, respected, and seasoned journalist would abandon all journalistic principles and participate in a law enforcement set-up.
The arrest may have been by the book. If so, “book her Dano.”
If not , sue ’em Amy.
Surge is absolutely correct. Pete Fundy believes that this “Amy Goodman” character is a fraud. She clearly doesn’t know an incident scene when she sees one, so she got what she deserved.
Well, technically, she should have also gotten some baton, but I’ll leave it our law enforcement friends as to why these cops got a little soft there at the end.
Warmly yours,
Pete Fundy
Senior Editorial Writer
OCLegend.Com
Chris,
The following is a quote from today’s local MInnesota paper on the arrest of this reporter.
“Amy Goodman, host of the independent news program “Democracy Now!,” questioned Harrington about why police arrested her and two of her producers. The producers had been reporting on Monday’s arrests when they were swept up in the arrests themselves, she said.
She rushed from interviews with delegates at the Xcel Energy Center when she heard the producers had been arrested and were bloodied, Goodman said. She said she asked officers why the journalists were being detained, and they arrested her.
Goodman was cited for obstructing legal process; the producers were arrested on suspicion of felony riot.
“What is your policy with the press?” Goodman asked Harrington. “How is the press to operate in this kind of environment?”
Harrington said “if there’s an unlawful assembly or we’re in the midst of a riot,” police announce loudly that people need to leave the area.
“If reporters fail to do that, if they are in the midst of the riot, we can’t protect them,” he said. “It would be very difficult for us in a moment of that kind of chaos to be able to make those kind of fine distinctions.”
there was no such chaos when the brownshirts in Denver rousted and arrested na ABC reportee-r photographing dem fat cats going into an exclusive reception. While I am loathe to have much sympathy for t he press these days, where was the outrage then?