A Day in Jail for a Photojournalist

[G_j]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jerry-nelson/a-day-in-jail-for-a-photo_b_1261311.html


A Day in Jail for a Photojournalist

by Jerry Nelson
Posted: 02/ 8/2012 12:27 pm


Saturday afternoon I'm standing in McPherson Square taking photos of the cops in full riot gear as they prepare to evict OccupyDC. Despite a verbal promise from the National Park Police that only tents containing bedding material would be removed, almost every tent was targeted for the dumpster.

There was so much activity going on, it was difficult to find something to focus on. Cops in full riot gear, waste handlers in yellow "hazmat" suits, protestors shouting, mounted police roaming through the park -- just action everywhere I looked.

I was standing alone watching the activity when about five park police surrounded me and told me they wanted to speak with me. When I asked what this was about one of them took the cigarette from my mouth while another slipped the plasti-cuffs over my wrists and pulled them so tight I could feel the skin tear beneath them.

Surrounded by more cops in riot gear I was led to a white processing tent that had set up in the square earlier that morning. The cops emptied my pockets, removed my belt and shoelaces and went through my [camera] gear bag.



..more..

[Justice wanted]

1. THIS is a sad state of our country. The First Amendment is being VIOLATED in every way shape and

form.


Our country is now on a human watch list for the arrest of journalists and we seem to be slipping deeper and deeper into this madness.

[barbtries]

2. i usually don't go to huffpost

but this was really worth it. i hope he has some cause of action considering that what the police did was kidnap him under color of authority or something like that (not a lawyer).
48 hours, and never informed why. never charged. never stood before a judge. just kept in custody against his will for two full days. apparently without food and in zip cuffs? that was somewhat unclear; did they really starve him and leave him in the cuffs for the full time?
it's criminal. what the PIGS did.

[Uncle Joe]

3. More authoritarian leaning candidates for President are promoted by the corporate media as

being "mainstream" while we descend in to a full blown police state, the long term implications are inevitable should that dynamic continue.

Thanks for the thread, G_j.