Amy Goodman: Watch What You Tweet

[marmar]

from Truthdig:



Watch What You Tweet

Posted on Oct 6, 2009
By Amy Goodman


A social worker from New York City was arrested last week while in Pittsburgh for the G-20 protests, then subjected to an FBI raid this week at home—all for using Twitter. Elliot Madison faces charges of hindering apprehension or prosecution, criminal use of a communication facility and possession of instruments of crime. He was posting to a Twitter feed (or tweeting, as it is called) publicly available information about police activities around the G-20 protests, including information about where police had issued orders to disperse.

While alerting people to public information may not seem to be an arrestable offense, be forewarned: Many people have been arrested for the same “crime”—in Iran, that is.

Last June 20, as Iranians protested against the conduct and results of their national election, President Barack Obama said in a statement, “The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.”

His statement was released in English, Farsi and Arabic, and posted on the White House’s very own Twitter feed. His tweet read, “We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people.” .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20091006_watch_what_you_tweet/

[NightWatcher]

1. nom de plumes and nom de guerres are more important now than ever

you have to take care of yourself and set up layers of protection for what you do, write, and share online.

I've got 4 good identities going online for all kinds of stuff. and no, sockpuppets dont count

[villager]

6. pretty much all "noms de guerre" now, I think....

n/t

[Warpy]

2. This is harassment and won't stick

If he'd been posting information on areas police were ordering dispersal from, he was doing work in their favor, hardly against them.

The rest of it wasn't that big a leap from shouting, "Not that way, this way!" which isn't illegal. Yet.

Fired up cops who are desperate to defend capitalism and arrest punks tend to overreach. This is one of those times. He's got nothing to worry about.

However, people doing the same thing in Iran do have a lot to worry about.

Thank goodness for Haystack.

[booley]

3. It's not supposed to stick

Few if any of the arrest the police do at these kinds of protests stick.

They aren't meant to. If they did try to make it so, the cops would risk being slapped down.

So instead the charges get dropped, they ask for a plea deal or it just disappears.

The point is the harassment. Protesters can say they were targeted by police. And they can even be clearly in the right. But the targetign and the harassment will have already happened by then.

[ddeclue]

7. They should file lawsuits for harassment and violation of their civil rights.

make these police depts pay 2 or 3 M dollars to a few of their victims and they'll tone it down.

[booley]

8. They have and they may yet again

But that takes money and time and it's against a local or state of federal government with much deeper pockets then most activist groups.

And sometimes Justice does fail. So what if they lose?

I know New York has been sued successfully a number of times for police abuse and false arrest.

But they keep on doing.

And BTW I am not sayign nothing should be done. But it's more complicated and difficult then a lot of people realize.

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. +1

Austin Heap is a true hero.

[valerief]

4. We're no different from any other repressive fundie country now. nt

[Echo In Light]

9. Error: you can only recommend threads which were started in the past 24 hours