How Police Are Keeping Journalists From Doing Their Jobs in Ferguson

[cal04]

Two National Journal reporters were threatened with arrest and repeatedly blocked from witnessing demonstrations in Ferguson late Wednesday night.

(snip)
This was the third time police had blocked us from trying to get to West Florissant Avenue, the main artery that cuts through Dellwood and Ferguson and where people had been protesting since Saturday, when 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer. Later, when we finally got there, we were threatened with arrest.

"The whole situation is not good at this point," Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said early Thursday, saying that the police would look to change their tactics going forward. "We need everybody to tone it down," he said.

Police had used intimidation, threats of arrest and claims of impending violence to keep us away from covering the news.

(snip)
"You're not going to walk down the street. If you insist on going down here, and you want to disobey the orders of the police that have been given to you, thoroughly and fairly, you'll most likely be placed under arrest."

http://www.nationaljournal.com/domesticpolicy/how-police-are-keeping-journalists-from-doing-their-jobs-in-ferguson-20140814

[HooptieWagon]

1. Cops don't want journalists/cameras on the scene...

... that might provide evidence against their actions and lies.

[msongs]

2. sure are a lot of white only cops in a substantially black neighborhood. nt

[etherealtruth]

6. A story on NPR's morning edition (yesterday) ....

reported the town was 68% AA (something like that I am going solely from memory with that %) and LESS than 5% AA (that I remember clearly)

[Ikonoklast]

3. I gather Martial Law has been invoked? No?

Then show me a valid legal reason I can't go where I will, your say-so means jack to me.

[WillyT]

4. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[Dawson Leery]

5. When you get Ron Fornier against the establishment (at least for a moment),

you have problems.