Baltimore protester kidnapped by National Guard

[marym625]

A college student who was featured during the Ferguson protests in Baltimore is snatched up by National Guard. It's caught on CNN live and he's nowhere to be found.

Watch Baltimore Police Make a Protester Disappear

Baltimore police, enforcing the mandatory curfew that went into effect Tuesday night, are dizzyingly efficient.

Like this arrest, caught on CNN cameras: now you see the protester, now you don’t. Where did he go? No comment.

Video at link

http://gawker.com/watch-baltimore-police-make-a-protester-disappear-1700856531

He has featured prominently in civil action before, and was credited with organising Baltimore's local protests against the Ferguson shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, according to a report on Heavy.com.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/where_is_joseph_kent_baltimore.html

Edit - found YouTube video. However, the video at the above link shows it better

"VIDEO - Baltimore Police Make a Protester Disappear - APRIL 28, 2015"

This is supposed to be the USA. Since when are people arrested like this?

This is becoming way too scary and out of control. The amount of fire power, tear gas used on peaceful protesters, curfews and now snatching people up and hiding them. This must end

[liberal N proud]

1. What are we supposed to see there?

Because I am not seeing anything suspicious

[marym625]

2. Did you watch the video?

I can't put it in the OP. There's no link directly to it.

I am going to check YouTube though

[liberal N proud]

4. Person walks across street into the line of police as vehicle goes past

With that analogy, you could say that anyone walking across the street into a crowd was kidnapped because they disappeared into the crowd.

Sorry, this isn't cutting it!

[marym625]

8. Watch the video at the link

He didn't just disappear into the crowd

[Ed Suspicious]

23. Watch closely the police movement behind the vehicle.

[Hoppy]

31. What you are missing is his hands are in the air. Then,

as the cops approach, his hands go down to his waistband. If you were a cop, what else should you do but gently approach and question the guy?

Yeah, I know, a bleeding heart libril like you would take him for an ice cream cone and tell him to just be a good boy.


















Yes, Agnes, sarcasm.

[marym625]

34. I thought it was Francis? .

[Ed Suspicious]

64. What the serious fuck is up with the "bleeding heart libril" thing? Are you kidding or are you an

authoritarian bagger or republican?

[Hoppy]

65. Agnes, I'm sorry you didn't read the sarcasm note on the bottom of the post.

[Ed Suspicious]

66. Why are you calling me Agnes? I think I'm missing something here.

I'm sorry I missed your sarcasm. Maybe it comes as no surprise that I'm still confused.

[marym625]

32. That's actually very interesting

Thanks for pointing it out

[Nuclear Unicorn]

3. This sounds a tad -- shall we say -- "sensationalist."

[marym625]

7. You think this is okay?

To drive by, without even stopping, grab a person up and then not release anything about his whereabouts or give any information on arrest or bail?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

11. Is disappearing people okay? No. But is this really disappearing?

People aren't just disappeared as in the movies. They have to be kept somewhere, fed, etc. as if a part-time force like the National Guard or a civilian urban police force have the infrastructure to just start stashing people.

That then compels us to ask -- Wouldn't people being snatched later be released and want to file a lawsuit?

I suppose if nothing ever comes of this the budding-CT may morph to suggest there is a mass-grave somewhere.

[marym625]

12. He is in the system

They have confirmed that he was arrested.

However, whether people think there's nothing too this and it's sensationalism, or so what, this is not okay with me in any way. Especially in an area like Baltimore that is well known for abuse by police

[7962]

25. There was a curfew. They told everyone to stay home. And this guy didnt.

[snooper2]

56. you know his name, have you searched their database for arrested persons, have you called

or is this thread just for fun?

[Buzz Clik]

16. It's dark, the guy is dressed in black, face wrapped -- but he is positively identified?

As much as I've been screaming about the police, I am not buying into this.

Sounds like this guy had his buddies film this knowing exactly what was going to happen because it was essentially staged.

"Don't tase me, bro!"

[7962]

26. I think you've got it.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

55. I'm not keen on curfews but the guy is obviously on the streets after curfew.

I'm guessing he was picked up for that an not much else but it's being sensationalized which is a damn shame because the BPD and its defenders then get to point to this as a way of discrediting its critics.

We need to stay focused on the real injustices -- and there are far too many -- not fabricating pretend ones that become self-defeating.

[Buzz Clik]

58. +1. Very well stated.

[Adrahil]

5. Also arrested =! Kidnapped n/t

[Oktober]

6. Maybe it was a black helicopter...

Posts like this need a Jon Williams score. DUN DUN DUN

[daleanime]

15. Because the military state has been completely trust worthy....

[Oktober]

17. Careful what you write....

They can read it from space you know...

[daleanime]

19. As long as I'm honest....

why should I care who can hear/see?

[marym625]

42. evidently

This is not just okay with many here, it is not symptomatic of the police state we now find ourselves under.

I don't get it

[GGJohn]

49. Because you're trying to make into something it's not.

Mr. Kent was warned several times about the curfew, he knew the consequences of his actions, he knew there was a legal curfew in place, he choose to violate it and was arrested legally.
He'll probably receive a summons or will appear in court this morning to answer the charge.

[daleanime]

61. And we had no reason for concern what so ever....

[GGJohn]

62. What concern????

This was pretty high profile.
As I said, he'll probably receive a summons or appear in court this morning.

[daleanime]

68. Yes, I can tell....

no concern here. After all he's 'probably' OK. Since nothing ever happens to some one once they have been picked up.


Have a lovely day.

[Ed Suspicious]

28. We have a slow driving hummer filled with military personnel traveling through a line of shield

carrying riot geared cops on smoke filled streets in a very restless city now under curfew. It's not too far a stretch to black helicopter, so let's give our people here a little respect and entertain the notion that something didn't look quite right about that "arrest."

[Ed Suspicious]

29. all this just a few years out from patriot act, extraordinary rendition, drone strikes and gitmo.

Ducks is ducks you quacks and fucks.

[marym625]

35. They are using drones in Baltimore

@deray's Tweet: https://twitter.com/deray/status/593172808148070400?s=01

Hope that link works

[Oktober]

50. Good...

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. British paper covering this story.... the Independent

Protesters have called on police to release a prominent student campaigner in Baltimore after CNN showed footage of him being abducted by the US National Guard live on TV.

Identified locally as 21-year-old Joseph Kent, he appeared to have been bundled into the back of an armoured police vehicle in a widely-shared video clip.

Social media users expressed outrage at the apparent attempt to target a man who was organising and addressing protesters peacefully at the time, as well as at the speed and abruptness of what they called his “kidnapping”.

As of last night there was no indication where Kent was being held, prompting Twitter users to ask the question: “Where is Joseph Kent?”

more;

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/joseph-kent-baltimore-protesters-call-for-release-of-student-kidnapped-by-police-live-on-national-tv-10211500.html

[marym625]

13. I was having problems loading that article

Thanks for posting it

As I said above, this is not okay. People can call me whatever they want, dis the post, excuse the cops, this is not OK.

[Historic NY]

30. He was brought into to the line of police on the ground...

pretty clear in the video.

[pintobean]

10. "Ferguson protests in Baltimore"?

[marym625]

14. That's what the initial protests were called

"Ferguson in xxx" whatever city was protesting inot solidarity with Ferguson

[Buzz Clik]

18. You have a lot of rabid lefties telling you this doesn't pass the sniff test.

There are some legit, god-awful things going on out there, and this isn't making it onto the radar.

[marym625]

24. rabid lefties?

I don't need people to tell me what I think.

Yes, there are horrible things going on out there. Horrible, horrible things. That doesn't make this okay.

[Buzz Clik]

48. We aren't telling you what you think...

... we're telling you what we think.

[marym625]

52. and implying I am thinking what you think I am being told

What is your definition of "rabid lefties"?

[Buzz Clik]

53. Not at all.

My impression is that you are posting something you found to be important. Some of us are simply saying that, yeah, it might be important, but it looks like someone intentionally creating a stir.

[fadedrose]

20. They have to check on why he appears where there's trouble

to make sure that he's a sincere protester or paid by a subversive or opposing political group.

Better safe than sorry....

The disappearance is just too obvious. The National Guard has a lot of people who have jobs outside and work only when needed. They're not exactly CIA.

Let's hope that after the "organizer" answers some questions, he's free to go.

[7962]

21. I guess the words "under curfew" means nothing? nt

[Enthusiast]

22. I understand they have broken his neck.

[brooklynite]

27. Webster's Dictionary

Kidnap: "to seize and detain or carry away by unlawful force or fraud"

Arrest: "to use the power of the law to take and keep"

[marym625]

33. It certainly was force as he had no chance to do anything voluntarily

The use of the word is from headlines and articles. Please note that I don't use the word in the OP or any of my replies

[GGJohn]

37. He wasn't kidnapped, he wasn't disappeared,

he was taken into custody for violating the curfew, he'll probably be released today with a notice to appear in court.

[marym625]

39. They are not under martial law

You can think this is all good.

It is not okay. I know that this is not anywhere near as important as so much going on there. It is still just another symptom of the police state we now live under. This is the shit you see in third world countries or countries that literally have a police state.

[GGJohn]

41. There was a legal curfew in place,

Mr. Kent made the conscious decision to violate it, he was legally arrested and transported to jail where he'll more than likely receive a court summons to answer the charge.

[cwydro]

57. He violated the curfew.

He was arrested.

What don't you get about that?

[dumbcat]

59. It's okay

Really.

[Ed Suspicious]

40. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully.

[GGJohn]

43. Most definitely.

Too high profile for any shenanigans on the part of the police.

[ananda]

36. I hope Kent is OK and gets released soon!

It's all over the news!

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/where_is_joseph_kent_baltimore.html

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&authuser=0&q=joseph+kent&oq=joseph+kent&gs_l=news-cc.3..43j43i53.2162.4233.0.4438.11.8.0.3.3.0.104.675.7j1.8.0...0.0...1ac.1.dqyfjxl1HqA

[marym625]

38. The Washington Post has an article as well

An attorney was able to get information around 3am that Kent is in the system. But that is as much information as I can find at the moment.

Not like the Baltimore police are actually trustworthy. Al Jazeera America just showed the video of the cops harassing and arresting an elderly man for carrying a golf club. I believe that is one of the very many lawsuits the city settled for unlawful arrests, abuse of power

[951-Riverside]

44. A curfew was in place, why was this guy still out?

I'm only asking because I assume he's black, had he been white I would have been freaking out over "martial law", "due process", "freedom of assembly" and I would have demanded everybody call their local congressperson.

#CVSStoresMatter

[Ed Suspicious]

45. right on

[marym625]

46. Love your hashtag!

I am flabbergasted. I truly didn't expect many to care or a free with me that this is not okay. But some of these replies are really out there IMHO

Thanks for the sarcasm. Made me smile

[marym625]

47. by the way

I meant to say in the OP that the curfew itself seems to be unconstitutional. Thanks for the reminder

[GGJohn]

51. Why was it unconstitutional?

The Gov. of every state in the Union has the legal power to set a curfew under certain circumstances, after Mon. night's mayhem, this was a prudent step to take.

[Buzz Clik]

54. In this atmosphere, sarcasm is hard to interpret.

Considering the flood of knuckledraggers trolling DU at the present time, I cannot tell if you are serious or not.

From the context of your comments, your <sarcasm> seems like sarcasm. It might be more productive to simply say what you mean.

[haele]

67. Ummm, forgot something the last time he shopped? Coming home from a date with his Steady?

Or was out with his buddies way too long, and said "Shit, gotta get home", and hoped that he wouldn't get picked up?
Tired, bored, not thinking straight, and went out on habit to grab a beer and companionship - or something a little more illicit?

Working the evening retail shift and was coming home from work? Working the (closed to the public) Orioles game and was late coming home from work? Going to a night shift job?

Went out to pick up granny's medicines because she didn't have anyone available to pick them up earlier, and he was the last person she called who was able to do it?

Baby at home went through all the diapers much too soon (you young parents and caretaker grandparents know what I mean!), and he was heading out and was bundled up just in case he ran into tear gas?


Or maybe, he was out doing no good - just because he was black and 21?
Who knows?

Curfews are a lousy way of "ensuring public safety" if most of the protests were actually peaceful. The "riots and looting" that affected that neighborhood was one violent incident; the rest were pretty much incident free. This wasn't two or three days of massive arson and looting; it was surprisingly low key (despite the media hype) when compared to real race/civil rights riots I've lived through before. This was no Ferguson or LA during Watts or the Rodney King incident. If the policing in this city wasn't so f'n reactive rather than pro-active, they wouldn't have to put a Curfew in place; there are plenty of ways to ensure that protests can continue and be peaceful.

In this case, all a Curfew does is keep the boot on the necks of people going about their own business who might otherwise not be causing problems.

Haele

Haele

[RedCappedBandit]

60. The fact is this doesn't look all that different from what you see when there are protests without

the riots.

So yeah, I think it's pretty blatantly reflective of the militarized police force / police state in which we live.

Sure, the guy may have been 'legally' arrested. That's a pretty meaningless metric.

[Oilwellian]

63. Back in the day

they used to let the media take pictures of arrested protesters. Today, the media just hears "they're somewhere in the system." The visuals from the Civil Rights era played a large role in the movement's success.


Morgan State University female students arrested for
protesting segregation in Baltimore, Md.


John Lewis, O.D. Hunt, and Dennis Gregory Foote,
after their arrest at a downtown lunch counter.


Fisk University student Jean Wynona Fleming
behind bars in the Nashville jail.


Students busted for protesting segregation
fill the Nashville jail to overflowing.


"Sometimes it seem like to tell the truth today is to run
the risk of being killed. But if I fall, I'll fall five feet four
inches forward in the fight for freedom. I'm not backing off." ~ Fannie Lou Hamer