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RedditDear Pro-Democracy Colleagues,
We join with you in condemning the arrest and harassment of Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and members of her crew on the first day of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. These arrests were a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists and an assault on our constitution.
Goodman was arrested for simply questioning police about the unlawful detention of producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar who were covering street demonstrations in St. Paul. All three were roughly handled.
Goodman, Abdel and Kouddous were released hours after being arrested but charges against them are pending, including felony riot charges against Kouddous and Salazar. Goodman was officially charged with obstruction of a legal process and interference with a peace officer.
The Nation calls for these charges to be dropped immediately.
Not only is arresting and detaining journalists for doing their work a violation of free speech and freedom of the press, but it is a travesty that our tax dollars are being used to suppress dissent and arrest journalists at conventions that should be celebrations of our small "d" democracy.
As media watchdog Free Press's statement denouncing the arrests reminds us, "Reporting by independent journalists is the only way for the American public to learn the full story, and they must be free to do their jobs."
And, as she does every morning on Democracy Now!, the nationally-syndicated public TV and radio program that airs on over 700 radio and tv stations across the US and the globe, Amy Goodman says what needs to be said--without fear and with passionate clarity: "I was very angry. This was a violation of my rights. But it's so much bigger than us. When the press is shut down, it's closing the eyes and ears of a critical watchdog in a democratic society."
On behalf of my colleagues and in defense of democracy,
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor & Publisher
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Katrina vanden Heuvel
Thoughts on politics, current affairs, riffs and reflections on what’s in the news and what’s not--but should be.
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I'm sure Jom will come on soon to tell us how they deserved it and they should be hung as traitors, or some such statement.
Posted by Cccomfo1 at 09/03/2008 @ 2:54pm
What I love about this is that LVL and the likes like to use the anarchists who come to these things with violent intentions as indicative of everyone on the left. Considering 10,000 or more people showed up and only 300 have been arrested doesn't show a behavior "indicative of the left." It shows the behavior indicative of a few fringe loons. By his logic the bombing of abortion clinics is indicative of the right.
Posted by Cccomfo1 at 09/03/2008 @ 3:01pm
well,
the charges will be found to be bogus
after they spend thousands on lawyers.
Posted by frosty zoom at 09/03/2008 @ 3:25pm
"These arrests were a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists and an assault on our constitution."
posted by Katrina vanden Heuvel on 09/03/2008 @ 2:42pm
Video tape doesn't lie.
Sue their asses off and dare them to do it again.
Posted by Benchrest at 09/03/2008 @ 3:31pm
Amy Goodman really told off the police officer who had bullied her colleagues!
After she complained that one of them had been given a bloody nose, the officer responded that this was no big deal, since he'd been given a bloody nose himself on occasion.
I'm sorry to hear that, Goodman responded, but by attacking the press, you have bloodied the nose of American democracy!
Amy Goodman is a national treasure! She deserves an apology, as do Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, her worthy colleagues.
Posted by JakobFabian at 09/03/2008 @ 3:41pm
As in the Bloomberg arrests at NYC '04 GOP convention, it'll be the taxpayers who end up paying damages for false arrests ... the pols simply walk away, mission accomplished. And the cops, following orders, collect overtime.
Hollywood ending.
Posted by sloper at 09/03/2008 @ 3:44pm
Posted by sloper at 09/03/2008 @ 3:44pm
I hate reality checks.
Posted by Benchrest at 09/03/2008 @ 3:46pm
I'm sure Jom will come on soon to tell us how they deserved it and they should be hung as traitors, or some such statement.
Posted by Cccomfo1 at 09/03/2008 @ 2:54pm
You probably won't see too many posts on here from the d-bag troop. You can't really sucessfully argue (not that they have a history sucessfully arguing) that journalists should be arrested when no crime has been committed.
Posted by ADHD at 09/03/2008 @ 3:53pm
Posted by JOMAMMA at 09/03/2008 @ 3:39pm
Should I quote you from yesterday where you said lock them all up? Or was that someone else?
Posted by Cccomfo1 at 09/03/2008 @ 4:05pm
I just did! It's called Interfering with the Police! Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/03/2008 @ 3:58pm
I didn't know asking a question was interefering with police. Just like the girl who asked if the police had a warrant to raid her house was arrested. Both of those are legal questions. It's not interefering with police it is asking for information.
Posted by Cccomfo1 at 09/03/2008 @ 4:11pm
well,
the charges will be found to be bogus
after they spend thousands on lawyers.
Posted by frosty zoom at 09/03/2008 @ 3:25pm
No, this should be unnecessary. If enough people call or e-mail the DA's office, or if a petition is set-up and gathers a few thousand signatures in a couple of days, the DA may very well drop the charges to avoid making this a bigger issue and greater waste of his or her staff's time. I've seen petitions get charges dropped and hundreds of demonstrators get folks released from jail with no charges even filed because the DA's or cops realized that the charges would be thrown out once they got to court.
Katrina, is there any way for us to join the protest over this example of cop and prosecutorial misconduct? An on-line petition or letter-writing campaign, perhaps?
Posted by cka2nd at 09/03/2008 @ 4:12pm
Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/03/2008 @ 3:57pm
HAPP, just so I can get it for the Archives...
you'd say the same thing about ABORTION CLINIC PROTESTORS....
right?
Posted by Maskdelta at 09/03/2008 @ 4:29pm
Amy is getting a ton of ink over this. She's made terrific propaganda points in her efforts to paint the US as a whole as something it really isn't. [ Hint: Racist, sexist police state]
Good for her. But make no mistake, Amy is not interested in democracy. Her vision is distinctly socialistic.
Suppose those were pro-life protesters and Amy was a fox news contributor. Now, be honest, where's the problem in that scenario for you on the left?
Crickets.
Posted by freiheit1 at 09/03/2008 @ 4:35pm
Katrina, because of your perceived omniscience, you wan to play prosecutor, judge and jury. Why not let the justice system work it out? If an injustice has occurred, they will most likely be set free. If police or governmental misconduct is the cause of their arrest (or interference with the judicial process occurs thereafter), let them take it to court. If they are guilty, let them face the consequences.
Let's be honest, Katrina. You only know one side of the story. Or is it that you only can acknowledge one side of the story?
Posted by pffxv at 09/03/2008 @ 4:47pm
Those guys really know how to handle such fine professionals!----Posted by RedRiver_. at 09/03/2008 @ 4:51pm
I love when the Hard Right supports the Hard Left!
LOL
Posted by Maskdelta at 09/03/2008 @ 4:53pm
RedRiver-Obviously,you would be happier in one of those very oppressive countries.
Posted by i'm nobody at 09/03/2008 @ 5:05pm
freiheit1,
Actually, while I was spending four years defending abortion clinics from Operation Rescue and escorting clients into clinics, OR clinic blockaders in Connecticut were subjected to police brutality by the application of completely unnecessary special pain holds. I spoke out against this attack on my political opponents in numerous pro-choice meetings and conversations, and pointed out to folks that police abuse could affect anyone, even if it was usually targeted at groups and populations other than OR.
In addition, I was among the pro-choice activists to the left of the National Organization for Women who argued against NOW's RICO suit against OR. The RICO Act, drafted to fight organized crime, paints a broad brush to define criminal conspiracies, and had already been used by the feds to harass leftists. NOW's successful use of RICO against OR helped sustain the government's ability to charge virtually any activist group under RICO.
So, speaking for myself, and hopefully any other principled leftists posting or reading here, I feel pretty damn comfortable in saying that if it had been some Fix News whore for Rupert Murdoch that was improperly arrested and also brutalized by the cops outside of the Democratic Convention, I would have been willing to decry that and sign a petition calling for the charges to be dropped, if only as an act of self-protection.
Posted by cka2nd at 09/03/2008 @ 5:07pm
Katrina, because of your perceived omniscience, you wan to play prosecutor, judge and jury. Why not let the justice system work it out? If an injustice has occurred, they will most likely be set free. If police or governmental misconduct is the cause of their arrest (or interference with the judicial process occurs thereafter), let them take it to court. If they are guilty, let them face the consequences.
Let's be honest, Katrina. You only know one side of the story. Or is it that you only can acknowledge one side of the story?
Posted by pffxv at 09/03/2008 @ 4:47pm
This is naive and ignores a long history of police and prosecutorial misconduct. Why should taxpayers be forced to foot the cost of a trial, and why should people be subject to legal harassment, when the charges are bogus and the conduct of the police grossly improper.
Posted by cka2nd at 09/03/2008 @ 5:12pm
To bad these so called journalists like the "misnoner in name" Goodman and her associates don't take their causes to places like China, Russia, Myamar, and etc. where they would recieve just rewards for their so called heroic efforts! Those guys really know how to handle such fine professionals!
Posted by RedRiver_. at 09/03/2008 @ 4:51pm
While I can forgive your ignorance, RedRiver_, your lighthearted hatefulness is shameful, you vile schmuck.
Amy Goodman was one of two American journalists nearly killed by the Indonesian army when it fired into a peaceful protest march in East Timor about 15 years ago or so, killing hundreds. Alan Nairn was horribly beaten by soldiers after he threw Amy under him to protect her from the gunfire, and I believe Amy was also injured. So she's more than paid her dues in reporting from dictatorships and surviving massacres.
Posted by cka2nd at 09/03/2008 @ 5:21pm
Posted by Cccomfo1 at 09/03/2008 @ 3:01pm
Anarchists aren't necessarily violent. This kind of behavior is called direct action, and it's as American as the Boston Tea Party. Blocking traffic, harassing delegates, and breaking a few windows - doesn't strike me as anything warranting rubber bullets or the National Guard.
Posted by freiheit1 at 09/03/2008 @ 4:35pm
Can you complete the analogy for me? Who working for Fox News - or worked in the past - is like Amy Goodman? Steve Wilson and Jane Akre, perhaps?
Posted by srjenkins at 09/03/2008 @ 5:24pm
Suppose those were pro-life protesters and Amy was a fox news contributor. Now, be honest, where's the problem in that scenario for you on the left?
Posted by freiheit1 at 09/03/2008 @ 4:35pm
My problem is that it's freedom of speech. It's just like how I will defend KKK demonstrations. They have every right to say what they want no matter how crazy that message may be.
Posted by Cccomfo1 at 09/03/2008 @ 7:15pm
Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/03/2008 @ 8:16pm
Wasn't Ted Bundy a Republican???
LOL
Posted by Maskdelta at 09/03/2008 @ 9:21pm
You do know whether the cops are right or wrong in taking police actions, it invariably is the by-standers' reactions, like just asking little `ol questions, that sets off riots, right? Should a cop in a hostile surroundings be concerned of getting stoned, beer bottled, shot? Can you ever imagine yourself in the cops' shoes? There are always more than one side to any incidents! Few are Green River Killer or Ted Bundy type `incidents'! Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/03/2008 @ 8:16pm
I don't disagree with you. BUT when it is the person compatriot asking it's different. If it is some random bystander that's different but when you arrest someone and the person they are WITH is asking you a question it isn't that hard to answer.
Posted by Cccomfo1 at 09/03/2008 @ 10:22pm
KATRINA VANDEN HUEVEL, ZERO, 2HAPPY, FRANKGRITS,
Katrina, I say Amy Goodman should remain in jail for the following reason: She should reflect, realize, and understand that electing either fascist wing of the war party, (right or left) is a loser's proposition and does not help the American people or the world for that matter. Amy Goodman is a gatekeeper for the radical left as you are, and now the punishment for such a betrayal of the public trust is becoming all too clear. If you are surprised by this police behavior, then you have been sleeping in your liberal elitist ivory tower for far too long. The everyday common man has dealt with abuse of power by the state for decades with no one being serious about putting these jackboot nazis in check and bringing them to heel. Did Amy Goodman protest the DNC convention to hold Obama and the Democrats to account for their enabling of the Bush agenda? I suspect not. This is why Amy Goodman should remain in jail on bread and water rations for at least a month. Then she will understand why being an apologist for the Democrats when said party is nothing but a vicious gang of right-wing thug wannabes is the absolute stupidest idea since the birth of the American Empire.
Posted by POSEIDON at 09/03/2008 @ 10:49pm
Posted by Maskdelta at 09/03/2008 @ 9:21pm
keep hacking away.
be safe, brother.
Posted by frosty zoom at 09/04/2008 @ 12:33am
ALL,
Katrina Vanden Huevel:
REMEMBER THIS? IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO:
Our editorial statement that "The Nation will not support any candidate for national office who does not make a speedy end to the American war in Iraq a major issue in his or her campaign"
Posted by POSEIDON at 09/04/2008 @ 03:00am
ALL,
Katrina Vanden Huevel:
REMEMBER THIS? IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO:
Supporting Barack Obama for President and the Democrats for House and Senate is a complete and utter betrayal of this noble pledge....
Our editorial statement that "The Nation will not support any candidate for national office who does not make a speedy end to the American war in Iraq a major issue in his or her campaign"
Posted by POSEIDON at 09/04/2008 @ 03:04am
What I want to know is how did the police know about the so-called plans for rioting that led to the raids on the houses prior to the convention. Our new surveillance laws at work? I thought they were supposed to be monitoring "Al Qaeda." How naive I must be.
Posted by Stevebremne at 09/04/2008 @ 11:24am
There were no "riots" until the police became overly proactive. This nation would not exist today were it not for protests and challenges to the establishment. We fought a war over it, remember? Those who fail to question (all) authority, regardless of venue, will be ruled by it. However, protesters need not resort to actionable activity in order to present their grievances. By so doing, they lose more than they gain.
Posted by Cookie at 09/04/2008 @ 12:24pm
We are definitely a fascist state. Is there anyone left in this country who doubts it? A government run by corporations and the military... umm, who could expect anything less at a convention for the people who have been in charge for the past eight years and mean to stay in charge, using our police to protect their police state. I guess what surprises me is that apparently the police in MN seem to have no independent thought left, they simply follow orders and harass and attack where ordered with no reason, giving no thought to what they are doing, simply following orders of the elites in charge... seems to me it began that way in Germany in the 1930's... and so it goes. Are we Rome burning yet? That is the View from My Trailer Park. Thank you. MJ Richards
Posted by mcjorich at 09/04/2008 @ 7:16pm
I wonder if anyone has interviewed tht cops in MN yet? Be interesting to see what they were thinking/or not thinking at the time.
Posted by arels at 09/05/2008 @ 10:20pm
How ironic,
Those in public service beating the public and lots of them too. So who made these people cops? It was something they chose to do out of a desire to dominate others.
it's simple.
Posted by arels at 09/05/2008 @ 10:23pm
How ironic,
Those in public service beating the public and lots of them too. So who made these people cops? It was something they chose to do out of a desire to dominate others.
it's simple.
Posted by arels at 09/05/2008 @ 10:23pm