Amy Goodman-RELEASED-After Illegal Arrest At RNC

[kpete]

http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2008/9/1/update_democracy_now_s_amy_goodman_sharif_abdel_kouddous_and_nicole_salazar_released_after_illegal_arrest_at_rnc

September 01, 2008
Update: Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar Released After Illegal Arrest at RN


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 1, 2008

Contact: Mike Burke

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.

.................
UPDATE: The San Francisco Chronicle's Joe Garofoli interviews Amy Goodman right as she was released from jail about what took place (h/t kimocrossman):
http://letters.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/09/01/protests/permalink/2480a22a9774a665d77dfa3eba4717b4.html

[malaise]

1. Why isn't this headline news on M$M

I guess only arrests of press in hostile countries count.

[Uncle Joe]

9. Because the corporate media don't care about journalists,

they just care about corporations.

[dkofos]

2. Time to lawyer up and go after these cocksuckers.

[King Coal]

3. I did not like watching Amy being arrested. I was worried for her. She looked scared.

[Junkdrawer]

4. Is there a military/Blackwater dimension to this?

Most of the police REFUSED to give names and badge numbers, even though it is St. Paul police policy to do so.

When Amy asked about this, an apologetic police officer in the booking center said "We don't like it, but these guys are from the outside and not in our control"

Add to this the strange military drills the police engaged in.

[aikoaiko]

5. kpete, what was illegal about Amy Goodman's arrest?

[Junkdrawer]

7. Even the AP sees this as unconstitutional...

From Glenn Greenwald at Salon:

...

UPDATE IV: The Washington Post has a few more details on the arrest of Goodman and the two Democracy Now producers. In addition to them, a photographer for Associated Press was also arrested today while covering the protests (h/t Edward Champion). AP spokesman said of the arrest: "covering news is constitutionally protected, and photographers should not be detained for covering breaking news." Democratic strategist and CNN commentator Donna Brazile was hit by pepper spray on her way into the Xcel Center.

...

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/

[aikoaiko]

8. I'm not sure if the AP spokesperson is talking about Amy or the arrest of the other two.

So I ask Kpete, what was illegal about the arrest of Amy Goodman. I saw the video and while she has every right to ask police about the arrest of her two colleagues, once they told her to step back a couple of time and she didn't, and then tried to escort her by grabbing her arm and pushing her back and she resisted this, they arrested her.

I've said it in other posts, but I would expect to be arrested if these were my actions. Protesting 101, don't resist the officers attempt to move you. If I didn't know any better, I would have said Amy was trying to get arrested, but its clear that when they arrest her she is unhappy and tries to pull away.

[wtmusic]

10. Thank you.

There is nothing in the video which makes it obvious that anyone's arrest was "illegal".

[wvbygod]

6. Which Judge declared it an "Illegal arrest?"

Now that it is a matter of fact that it was an illegal arrest we should thank the Judge and jury if a jury was used.

[wtmusic]

11. It's very possible for an act to be considered illegal with or without

a judge's ruling on it. Common misunderstanding.

That said, there is not a whole lot of evidence to support it.