Ted Johnson, Variety Editor, Discusses His St. Paul Arrest:

Surrounded by police in riot gear on the Marion Street bridge in St. Paul on Thursday night, along with about 300 protesters and members of the media, I thought they surely can't arrest all of these people.

When it became clear that they intended to take reporters away as well, my reaction was a bit more dumbfounded. They have got to be kidding.

But no: I got arrested. Even handcuffed.

And my computer and my camera got confiscated. By the time we were freed, we'd spent about four hours in custody, and I was stuck with a misdemeanor charge of being present at an unlawful assembly. The experience was a combination of mild amusement, bewilderment and anger.

The arrest of journalists last week at the Republican National Convention got a great deal of coverage in local media, yet little play elsewhere, as has been the case when similar incidents occurred at past conventions. (Strangely, it seems the media harps on these kinds of arrests in foreign lands more intensely than they do when they occur in their own backyard.)

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[ReelBusy]

The only reason any of you idiots are allowed to write/post anything here is because of the First Amendment.

After a police state is done arresting reporters and silencing them who do you think they will come after next?

Maybe bloggers.

Maybe anyone who voices dissent out loud.

But at least you think you're safer right?

[marylandtravelinman]

Serves the media right! The MSM is the reason we are in this war, the reason McSame is tied with O and the reason FOX has such high ratings. They are lazy and want a Watergate headline without doing the work. Arrest them all and maybe they will stop going to barbeques with candidates and stop being part of the embedded forces.

[Shelly1970]

These were protesters without a voice. They were put in a cage and let to scream. Completely no effect. The GOP got their way with this one.

[ProfessorDuh]

You may find an American police state amusing, but I do not.

[ugmold]

I guess journalist can finally smell the stink too.

[indy100]

Welcome to the Fascist Republic of America, also known as "New China". Actually, China is starting to look like an open society compared to what's going been going on here for years. And, it just keeps getting worse..

[abouttime]

The US Federal Government started this frenzy of targeting journalists in Iraq by killing reporters from Al Jazeera, a mainstream TV outlet in the Middle East. - Denials by Bushites were not challenged by the mainstream media in the US. And now the roosters are coming home to roost.
Censorship is an ugly word, but areresting US journalists covering protests of phoney conventions is just the tip of the iceburg. The arresting "officers" use unnecessary force in pushing heads into the dirt. The arrests are humiliating to anyone who witnesses these '"peace officers" destroy our freedoms. Fortunately, journalists live to tell the truth about a police state out of control. Perhaps we can support the journalists (whose life is presenting us the truth) by reading their stories and reject media outlets that ignor the government censorship of others. Guess what - they are next in line (if they do not comply).
Speak truth to power!

[PATina]

I read about Amy Goodman's arrest last week on Truthout.org. It's so sad that we've denigrated to this... arresting journalist and preventing a free press from existing in America.

[dadw5boys]

It makes an American Proud to see even Journalist arrested after they have played the cow to this Republican BULL so long.

How does it feel to be prevented from even doing your job and covering Americans who are using their right to organize and protest ????