September 1, 2008
Contact: Mike Burke
UPDATE
Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar Released After Illegal Arrest at RNC
Goodman Charged with Obstruction; Felony Riot Charges Pending Against Kouddous and Salazar
ST. PAUL–Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar have all been released from police custody in St. Paul following their illegal arrest by Minneapolis Police on Monday afternoon.
All three were violently manhandled by law enforcement officers. Abdel Kouddous was slammed against a wall and the ground, leaving his arms scraped and bloodied. He sustained other injuries to his chest and back. Salazar’s violent arrest by baton-wielding officers, during which she was slammed to the ground while yelling, “I’m Press! Press!,” resulted in her nose bleeding, as well as causing facial pain. Goodman’s arm was violently yanked by police as she was arrested.
On Tuesday, Democracy Now! will broadcast video of these arrests, as well as the broader police action. These will also be available on: www.democracynow.org
Goodman was arrested while questioning police about the unlawful detention of Kouddous and Salazar who 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 arrested on suspicion of rioting, a felony. While the three have been released, they all still face charges stemming from their unlawful arrest. Kouddous and Salazar face pending charges of suspicion of felony riot, while Goodman has been officially charged with obstruction of a legal process and interference with a “peace officer.”
Democracy Now! forcefully rejects all of these charges as false and an attempt at intimidation of these journalists. We demand that the charges be immediately and completely dropped.
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 the Democracy Now! team was arrested, law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force against protesters and journalists. Several dozen demonstrators were also arrested during this action, including a photographer for the Associated Press.
Amy Goodman is one of the most well-known and well-respected journalists in the United States. She has received journalism’s top honors for her reporting and has a distinguished reputation of bravery and courage. The arrest of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and the subsequent criminal charges and threat of charges are a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists.
Democracy Now! is a nationally-syndicated public TV and radio program that airs on over 700 radio and TV stations across the US and the globe.
Video of Amy Goodman’s Arrest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ
There’s plenty more here:
The media would follow the protesters and the police would point their weapons at them and fire directly towards them. At one point in the evening an officer runs up to a group of cameramen filming and drops a flash grenade in the middle of them and runs away. The grenade went off in a bright flash and bang, slightly injuring a few of the photographers.
The entire evening journalists were pushed, shoved, intimidated, shot at, abused and finally arrested.
The officers corralled the group of some 300 protesters, along with some 50 working press, onto a bridge and sealed it off from both directions—forming a line of police in full riot gear on each side with weapons drawn.
The cops started shouting at everyone to sit down and put their hands up, saying that they were to be arrested.
The media professionals did what they have always done in this situation, they filed out of the crowd to the edge and continued taking their pictures.
The police became more irate and started to throw flash grenades onto the brideg. At that point you can hear the journalists start talking among themselves.
“I think the mean us to,” said one reporter.
“You got to be fucking kidding me,” said another in response.
“Bullshit,” said a soundman.
The press started shouting at the police identifying who they were.
The police continued their threats, finally saying that they would come in using force if they didn’t sit down.
Journalists started to sit down, still recording the scene, all getting on the phone to report in what was happening.
I heard the photographer over the camera’s microphone in a shaky voice explaining the situation to the newsroom. He sounds scared and confused.
“Yah they’re going to arrest us all… including the press,” he says to the person on the phone.
You can tell that the person on the other end of the conversation can’t believe it.
“We told them we’re press, they don’t care,” the conversation continued.
A Japanese crew was still standing; one of them was carrying a ladder used to see over crowds to get a better angle.
The cops threaten to bring him down with force, calling the ladder a weapon.
The Japanese crew looks scared, they all scream “Press, press!” at the police.
More scared voices among the media, pan to the protesters, and then the feed went black.
My colleagues last night had every reason to be scared.