Amy Goodman Arrested in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota
[DemocracyNow press release]
ST. PAUL, MN—Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was unlawfully arrested in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota at approximately 5 p.m. local time. Police violently manhandled Goodman, yanking her arm, as they arrested her. Video of her arrest can be seen here.
Goodman was arrested while attempting to free two Democracy Now! producers who were being unlawfully detained. They are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Kouddous and Salazar were arrested while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. Goodman’s crime appears to have been defending her colleagues and the freedom of the press.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were being arrested on suspicion of rioting. They are currently being held at the Ramsey County jail in St. Paul.
Democracy Now! is calling on all journalists and concerned citizens to call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar. These calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman’s office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0).
Democracy Now! stands by Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and condemns this action by Twin Cities law enforcement as a clear violation of the freedom of the press and the First Amendment rights of these journalists.
During the demonstration in which they were arrested law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force. Several dozen others were also arrested during this action.
“suspicion of rioting?” wazzat? Perhaps the folks were targeted because they were obviously press or perhaps not the normal laconic pasty faced Norsemen of Minnesota?
I’m sorry, I think Amy was stupid. The police are not there to negotiate anything! Every sane person knows that. A policeman is an automaton. Amy was courting disaster by trying to reason with them.
Of course it’s stupid to insist that an armed representative of the state can’t do whatever the hell he feels like. Thank goodness we still have some stupid people in the country.
I haven’t seen much of anything about the protesters in my local newspaper. I suppose, then, that nothing much is happening on the streets. Or, perhaps, the corporate media is correct, that it’s just a bunch of troublemakers.
But, wait! Maybe they are exercising their First Amendment rights! You know, those rights we are supposedly fighting wars for. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/4/95717/90720/674/586129