Exc. Overview: Reporters Detained, Arrested Across The Country In Occupy Protests

[Hissyspit]

http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/index.php?i=12230

NEWS MEDIA UPDATE U.S. · November 4, 2011 · Newsgathering

Reporters detained, arrested across the country in "Occupy" protests

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"At no time did Kristyna Wentz-Graff ignore any commands by any officer," Kaiser said. "She came upon the scene to do her job as a photojournalist. She was clearly not part of the protest. She was wearing her Journal Sentinel photo press credential. She was carrying photography equipment while taking photographs of police making arrests when she was grabbed by a police officer and handcuffed. Her arrest was completely uncalled for and violates the First Amendment. No reason for her arrest has been provided."

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Just last week a reporter from the Nashville Scene—who was charged with public intoxication—was one of dozens arrested at the Tennessee protest, according to The Tennessean. That charge was complicated by the fact that the alternative-weekly reporter, Jonathan Meador, caught his own arrest on tape and sounds lucid as he tells officers that he is a member of the media and is getting off the plaza police were raiding to enforce a city curfew. A voice can also be heard on the audio, presumably an officer, saying “Tell them when you get him up there to charge him for resisting arrest.”

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Also this week freelance journalist-cartoonist Susie Cagle was among 101 people arrested at the Occupy Oakland protests, days after the controversial clashes with police and protestors there. According to a KGO-TV San Francisco interview, Cagle said she was wearing her press pass visibly and told police she was covering the event, to which they said they would “take care of that” in a minute.

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According to KGO-TV, Cagle will have to appear in court next month to sort out her case. She also said that she planned to return to the Occupy Oakland protests because she feels obligated to report this story now more than ever.

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[malaise]

1. They don't want the world to see Occupy

They did the same thing in Iraq

[Skip_In_Boulder]

2. Next thing you know they will be claiming

freedom is on the march and they are liberating Oakland.

[midnight]

3. It seems that protesting was alright two summers ago to drown

out discussions of health care.... But not under circumstances protesting the obscene banking scandal, and joblessness in the country....

[peacebird]

4. If the Koch brothers arrange the protest then it is ok.

[peacebird]

5. If the Koch brothers arrange the protest then it is ok.

[lunatica]

6. Well we know about this tactic so obviously it isn't working in their favor

I truly love that enough of their subversive activity is getting out that we are aware of it. I'm sure many more arrests and actions are done that we don't hear about, but they aren't getting away with it. At least not as far as keeping it a secret.

[xchrom]

7. Recommend

[Tesha]

8. Maybe all this will help the Media discard the blinders they've been very-willingly wearing for...

...the last 31 years or so? And especially the last 11 years!

Tesha