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Update: Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar Released After Illegal Arrest at RNC
Democracy Now
Tuesday, Sept 2, 2008
UPDATE
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.
(Article continues below)
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:
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22 Responses to “Update: Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar Released After Illegal Arrest at RNC”
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September 2nd, 2008 at 4:07 am
Democracy…yeah, sure, when?
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:21 am
What a bunch of weak balless goons. Their parent’s never taught them how to grow up!
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:59 am
Amy Goodman is one of the best journalists working in this country these days. This is reprehensible.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:59 am
“Peace Officer”. How ironic that title is today.
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:46 am
I’m glad this happened to Amy Goodman. I feel she deserves it for how she pussed out over the WTC 7 issue, and her spineless reporting on the truth of 9/11 and the police state takeover.
They should have broken her arm, maybe then she would get her ratty haired head out of her uptight white ass, and realize that the country is headed towards a living hell.
Her ‘reporting’ is all too often sanitized, whitewashed, and innocuous.
What a joke.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:48 am
anonymouspatriotusa
well said. Amy is a wanna be main stream media lap dog. she’d sell you, us and everyone out for that sweet sweet elite sugar.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:49 am
anonymouspatriotusa
well said. Amy is a wanna be main stream media lap dog. she’d sell you, us and everyone out for that sweet sweet elite sugar.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:55 am
Time to wake up Amy………Smell the bullshit yet? Ready to help get the truth out about 9/11?
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:59 am
For those wishing ill on Amy, you’re wrong. By condoning the action against her, you open the door for evil to be implemented on all. We’re all in this together, like it or not.
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:10 am
Ken, I’ll have to agree with you. When parties change hands, policies change. And in this case, not for the better.
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:20 am
It happened in China, Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, Chili, Argentina, and other tyrannical police states; and now it has come to the shores of the last great free nation on earth. Will the American people be up to taking back our Constitutin? My money says we will! God Bless America and Ron Paul, Alex Jones, and all freedom loving people of the world. We will prevail!
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:43 am
Funny, because I saw Amy Goodman speak last year and she she said something that stuck with me.
If we were living in a tyrannical police state, how would it be any different? The answer of course is that we are already there.
And I agree with Ken – do not wish harm on anyone. While I think Amy doesn’t go far enough in exposing the true criminals who run this country, and she’s mired down in the Global Warming B.S., she does do a fair job exposing the false left/right and pointing out how there is little difference between Obama and McCain.
We need to be reaching for a higher goal here. We need to be uniting with those we disagree with and find common ground — we are in this fight together.
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:17 am
I was just wondering why Alex only covered the DNC and not the alternate RNC with Ron Paul ??????????? Who’s covering Ron Paul ?????? Why did Alex go to the DNC in the 1st place ??????
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:59 am
To Ken and TJ:
I think what anonymouspatriotusa was saying is that the USA is full of wishy-washy, fence-sitting Liberals like Amy Goodman, who don’t seem to understand just how bad things are.
Peaceful protests and demonstrations and the existing electoral and political process will never succeed in purging the fascists out of the fabric of the US government. What the USA needs is not simple reform, but total Revolution.
When more soft-sell Liberals and peacenik protesters get their heads cracked and their asses kicked by the police, they will begin to wake up to the real facts. What it will take is some Kent State type events.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:43 am
Amy Goodman and Two Democracy Now! Producers Unlawfully Arrested …………..actually she can not sue them because under the “Patriot Act” what the “Storm Troopers” did was legal. Welcome to Fascists Ameriaca.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:32 am
Only 14th Amendment Citizen are subject to obey those laws
under the “Patriot Act”
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Are these local police officers, national guard soldiers, s.w.a.t., or blackwater guys? WHO are these men in black outfits? Are they local or are they brought in as a hired force?
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Don’t know, they don’t wear badges and won’t give out their names
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:53 pm
What needs to happen is for the military to seize power and put Ron Paul in as president, after all the Bushies have been hanged.
Popular demonstrations should call for a military coup – the people will never rebel.
Until then, there is my video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Y62EB7CFQ
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:32 pm
scum pure scum with IQ’s of less than 100
http://www.infowars.com/?p=4297
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Ken and others,
I don’t think people were wishing ill or for Amy and her people to be hurt but, hopefully this incident will shake her up enough to realize what Alex and others have been telling her for years now. That the satanic illuminati elites have increased their speed toward the one world totalitarian government that Bush and others have so foundly described to the world. When you see videos like this and realize that the protesting groups were infiltrated by the authorities beforehand makes you cringe. In order for people to be on the same page as them we must think and act as they do. Do background checks on all volunteers, attempt to march peacefully but if they began to use brutal force then people shouldn’t be afraid to do the same. Why is it ok for them to pepper spray the eyes but you can’t defend you and yor friends. For to long people have gone the way of staying peaceful while the authorities had no such rules to follow. When the New Revolution begins to save our country and its people count me in. I hope Amy reports on the truth now behind 9/11 and other corruption and control.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:47 am
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”