Teabaggers with guns are OK. But journalists trying to report on a peace protest go straight to jail

[NNN0LHI]

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2010/05/amy_goodman_fil.php

Amy Goodman sues local cops, cities over RNC arrest

Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now, filed a lawsuit against city and state officials Wednesday, accusing police of wrongfully arresting her during the Republican National Convention two years ago.

Goodman and two of her staffers were arrested during the first day of the convention while covering a peace demonstration in downtown St. Paul. The suit seeks monetary damages and protection from future arrests.

"They posed no threat to anyone and they repeatedly identified themselves as members of the press," Alexie Agathocleous, Goodman's attorney, told MPR. "{Journalists} truly are the eyes and ears of the public. So any policy or practice of arresting those journalists who are covering protests just flies in the face of the basic freedoms of the First Amendment." snip

During the RNC, St. Paul transformed into a transient militarized zone. At behest of the party of "small government," law enforcement agencies spied on peaceful protest groups during the lead-up to the RNC, conducted multiple house raids once it rolled into town, and on the last night of the convention orchestrated a dragnet that swept up dozens of credentialed journalists, including (full disclosure) the author of this post.

Edit: Video of arrest and beat down at link

[BeFree]

1. Hope they win big

Send a message: fuck with us pay a fine.

[X_Digger]

4. I agree, but..

I'd change that to: "fuck with the first amendment, pay a fine."

There's a reason it's the first amendment, not the sixth, seventh, etc.

[BeFree]

6. That's better

Even better; along with paying a fine, they spend a week in jail, shave their heads, and have their foreheads tattooed with this saying:

This person hates your right of free speech and should either be shunned or reported to the police every time you are close enough to read this. Now, kick it in the balls.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Republicans - the party of being afraid of everything, even unarmed protestors.

Assholes.

[Puzzler]

3. Unless, the protesteres are heavily armed white teabaggers...

... then, it's fine and dandy.

[Crystal Clarity]

5. That link was disturbing.

I can't get her screams out of my head. If she was injured, (as she sounds to have been) I hope she's suing for assault as well as wrongful arrest.

[RufusTFirefly]

7. It's a calculated risk on the part of law enforcement. I'm glad they called their bluff

The goal is to immediately squelch any negative press and to sweep inconvenient people off the streets, whether it's Constitutional or not.

By the time they say, "Oops. Sorry. Our bad," the convention has come and gone. Mission accomplished. People have "moved on" in the United States of Amnesia. Only if the fine they pay is huge will it finally sink in that our Constitutional rights are absolute, not something that can be taken away willy nilly at their convenience. Even then, the taxpayers will foot the bill, and they'll wonder why there's no money for city services. It's really a beautifully diabolical strategy.

[malaise]

8. Go Amy

Make them pay