 |
St. Paul in the Hot Seat over Journalist Arrests
Timothy Karr
Huffington Post
Saturday, Sept 6, 2008
Journalists and St. Paul citizens assembled outside St. Paul City Hall today to deliver more than 60,000 letters to Mayor Chris Coleman and prosecuting attorneys demanding that they immediately drop charges against all journalists arrested this week as they covered the Republican National Convention
By Friday morning, dozens of journalists, photographers, bloggers and videomakers had been booked by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s office in what appears to have been an orchestrated round-up of media makers covering protests during the convention.
“From the pre-convention raids to the ongoing harassment and arrests of journalists, these have been dark days for press freedom in the United States,” said Nancy Doyle Brown of the Twin Cities Media Alliance, who delivered the letters on behalf of the nonpartisan media reform group Free Press.
(Article continues below)
Stories That Will Never Be Told
She was joined by a crowd of local activists and journalists, including Amy Goodman and Nicole Salazar of Democracy Now!, KFAI-FM radio host Andy Driscoll and Mike Bucsko, executive director of the Minnesota Newspaper Guild.
“Tragically, there are stories that the world needed to hear this week that will never be told,” Brown said. “They won’t be told because reporters working on them were sitting in the back of squad cars, were stripped of their cameras, or were face down on the pavement with their hands cuffed behind their backs.”
On Thursday, the final night of the convention, it appears that authorities ratcheted up their attacks on both protesters and credentialed journalists, lobbing tear gas and percussion grenades into crowds and arresting student journalists, local TV photographers, Associated Press reporters, and two MyFox journalists, among others.
Other journalists have also been pepper-sprayed, and reporters with I-Witness were held at gunpoint during a “pre-emptive” raid aimed at disrupting protesters last weekend.
Mayor Chris Coleman has refused to reply to my repeated calls and e-mails asking for his response to allegations that journalists were specifically targeted by authorities.
Post-Mortem
A crowd of journalists — many of whom were arrested earlier in the week — entered City Hall and delivered the letters into the hands of St. Paul Deputy Mayor Ann Mulholland and City Attorney John Choi, who briefly told them that the legal system will sort out their concerns.
The mayor and public officials “need to do a post-mortem to examine the circumstances” of these arrests, said Bucsko, who represents reporters at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I hate to think that journalists were being targeted,” adding that it appeared that “there was discrimination based upon their jobs.”
The signatures were collected in less than 72 hours as people nationwide expressed their outrage over St. Paul’s attempts to stifle the many journalists documenting events surrounding the tightly scripted spectacle in the city’s Xcel Center.
Wellstone’s Worst Nightmare
Groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, The Newspaper Guild, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Reporters Without Borders, the Society for Professional Journalists and the Writers Guild of America, East have also sounded the alarm over the unusually harsh treatment by city authorities.
“The city of St. Paul has a black eye right now, and I must say that Paul Wellstone would be rolling in his grave,” said Denis Moynihan of Free Speech TV, who spoke outside City Hall today.
“Mayor Coleman must salvage the damaged reputation of the state and the city by dropping charges against all journalists immediately.”
Prison
Planet.tv Members Can Watch
Fall Of The Republic
Right Now Online -
Don't Miss Out! Get
Your Subscription Today!
CANCER CONSPIRACY? Are
"they" suppressing the cure? Will YOU
be the next victim? Learn
the Secret Truth! - READ FULL STORY
-
- Social bookmarks
- Email this article
-
- Print this page
26 Responses to “St. Paul in the Hot Seat over Journalist Arrests”
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||
| By N2H | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September 6th, 2008 at 6:43 am
Ahhhhh, so finally, the dog you’ve been petting and praising for arresting all those “conspiracy nuts” have finally turned on you. All those closet communists are finally creeping out of thier holes and the media gets a taste..finally and good.
September 6th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Sounds to me like “they” bit the hands that feeds them. Overall, maybe it’s a positive thing the press/journalist were arrested, had gun pointed in their faces, and thrown to the ground. And I am sorry that they had to go through this, but hopefully, it was an eye-opener for them. The journalists. photographers, bloggers and videomakers experienced first hand what many of us have seen or experienced. Maybe the journalists will begin to report the truth instead of the watered down version or just plain lies and garbage. Maybe the journalists will begin to report what is really happening. We have pilots for 911 truth, architects/engineers for 911 truth. Let add the journalists and photographers to our list of truth seekers.
September 6th, 2008 at 7:53 am
sssshuffering sssuckatash
September 6th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Why should yes-man ‘journalists’ get a free ride so they can spread their lies without interruption. Waterboard ‘em. Maybe then they’ll stop stroking the neo-con machine.
September 6th, 2008 at 9:10 am
My advice to demonstrators: Have you noticed how they push the crowd back and thin them out to an area where they arrest the ones left being the mindset that those left are the hardcore demonstrators. Let me tell you a story about an incident back in my early years. I studied martial arts for about ten years. Early morning in San Francisco I was at the bus station alone waiting for the last bus to Berkeley where I resided at the time. There were 2 men who arrived as I was waiting, by their body language I could tell they were together and pretending to be apart. Not freezing are waiting for their attempt to rob me I slowly circled them keeping an eye on them with peripheral vision tightening the circle as I circled them. They left. My advice is to not let them push you into an area. Either circle them are confront them and stand your ground, don’t let them take control. Good luck..A particular song I like is, I won’t back down by Tom Petty.
You can stand me up at the gates of hell and I won’t back down.
September 6th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Hey PeaceLover, excellent post, my friend. I was thinking exactly the same thing when I read the article. And to see that the city is so unrepentant makes it even more effective. The Mayor is hiding in his closet, and all the Deputy Mayor will say is that the legal system will sort it out? Are you kidding me? They need to be escorted out of City Hall by their earlobes.
I hope that Deputy Mayor comment also angers the good people of St. Paul by seeing that these Gestapo tactics were intended to be defended in court with their taxes. Got that? They pay for their own oppressors formation as well as their defense. It’s a sad irony that this city is called, St. Paul.
September 6th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Amy G. from Democracy Now got what was coming to her. HA! HA! your commy as-s will be with us in the FEMA Camps! HA! HA! Whats so funny is that Amy & friends had a chance to stop the NWO but no one did a thing. The NWO sent its message! I am sure in the end these journalists will see a big payday from the city. It will take a long time but the journalists will be compensated after all they did their part for the NWO.
September 6th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Go ahead and laugh, go ahead and make fun,
go ahead and go back to sleep.
When they come to get you and put into a FEMA camp
you can continue to laugh.
We haven’t got much time left, keep laughing and you won’t hear
the goose stepping storm troopers when they come to get you
and you loved ones.
I suggest that you wake up and know that if they come for those
you hate you are not far behind.
Here is a quote from Chomky
If you are not for freedom of speech for those you hate you are not for freedom of speech at all.
Peace
Dude
September 6th, 2008 at 10:54 am
peacelover
Theses are the ones who report the truth, they are ones who don’t work with the police. The ones who work with the police do not get arrested and only tell you what they are told to tell you
September 6th, 2008 at 11:56 am
It would be nice if these journalists would also make mention of the peaceful protesters who were victimized by the cops.
September 6th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
No Speak No Leak
September 6th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
“kill a commie for mommy” – US Armed Forces.
September 6th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Yes they will keep pushing, regardless of the fact that they are single handledly waking people up themselves by using these tacticts. It appears they no longer care about trying to cover up or hide Civil Liberty Offenses, which is very disturbing. It means they are going for total tyranny and not even trying to fool the larger sects of alternative media. Charged with “Un-Lawful” Assembly? what in the hell happened to the bill of rights and constitution… they did erode some of the liberties but i have yet to see a clause in the patriot act that says we citizens do not have the right to assemble. And they are prosecuted under terrorism laws,what a suprise…. Yes they do seem like terrorists. Terrorists whom terrorize the Elite un-american traitors.
I Sincerely hope each protester that was falsly arrested and or charged to retaliate each with their own pack of forocious lawyers. There are only a few ways to fix this situation without violence, and one major way is using the U.S. Court System against the criminals who think they are above it. I also ask these idiotic police to start using their brains and think about what will happen to their children when they oppose a particular parties views and want to protest peacefully.
September 6th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I want to sign a petition regarding the illegal activities by the police and so forth, BUT, havent seen one.
September 6th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Sorta reminds one of tales of when the little man with the mostasche put the clamps on libraries, literature and newspapers unless he approved the material.
Now ya see why history repeats? Because man refuses to learn from past lessons.
September 6th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Lois,
Sorta reminds one of tales of when the little man with the mostasche put the clamps on libraries, literature and newspapers unless he approved the material.
Now ya see why history repeats? Because man refuses to learn from past lessons.
Satan, he was a liar and murderer from the beginning. I’m assuming you think Beezlebub can cast out Beezlebub.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23)
September 6th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
They always stone the innocent and let the guilty free, I’m always sure that’s what everyone really wants.
P.S. And they really did fix that windmill in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, kind of like they fix the levees and bridges in our country.
September 6th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
For all those suggesting a signed petition. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! If they are willing to put a gun in your face for nothing, do you really think a signed piece of papers means a damn thing? NO! We have to find another way, we have to become the police, we have to become the government, we have to become the major media and IT WONT HAPPEN OVER NIGHT just like them taking over hasn’t happened over night.
September 6th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErFOsoKzpD0
about 2:48 watch the WTC collapse in slow motion zoomed-
still think its arab hijackers led by osama boogeyman that made them fall?
cmonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
September 7th, 2008 at 1:23 am
oh, look everybody. They delivered 60,000 petitions. I am sure that will result in a whole lot of changes. Vaseline anyone?
September 7th, 2008 at 2:23 am
We have a signed piece of paper called the Constitution, and that means nothing anymore to many to politicians and police. How is a petition somehow going to make a difference? 50,000 signatures will do nothing. 50,000 PEOPLE standing at the steps of the St. Paul City Hall WILL. The only petition that needs to be circulated is the one gathering signatures for a referendum vote to get the mayor and his minions out of office. They need to be given back their aprons so they can return to making burgers for those of us actually working to save our country.
September 7th, 2008 at 3:49 am
as i said before and ill say it again…it’s time to hire security for protesters and reporters. Obviously your tax money is not enough for the police to protect you!
September 7th, 2008 at 11:03 am
It goes beyond that, Major Bong, it seems that the tax money used to pay the police isn’t even considered as payment by the people. It is enough for them to fulfill their need to put on their silly costumes and play the authoritative figures they all so deeply desire to be. We are the enemies of the police. I don’t think it matters how many tax dollars are spent, in fact, would suggest that the more tax dollars ARE spent, the more equipment they will amass to use against us. The system is broken, and the police agencies and National Guard troops are now in place to ensure it stays that way.
I remember watching a clip after Katrina where a National Guardsman was telling a reporter that he was bummed that he may be ordered to kill civilians. These are the people we have. They will put their job security and their need to “fit in,” well above the Constitution or any real meaning behind what it is to be an American – even if it means they are the tools used to eliminate us. It’s pathetic and sad.
September 7th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
First of all, we have to put our money where our mouths are.
I’m no American, but I will support Amy Goodman in case she would press legal charges on the government.
September 7th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I meant “your” government
September 7th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
@thomas
???