Amy Goodman Arrested at RNC
Just in case some doubted before, it's time to acknowledge that fascism is alive and well in America. We are now losing all of our civil liberties, including the First Amendment. I am quite stunned that the Ramsey County Police and the FBI in the Twin Cities had the audacity to arrest Amy Goodman of Pacifica!
It's not a real big deal when some of us activists are arrested for demonstrating without a permit, or engaging in nonviolent civil resistance, but when the state starts going after the media, the "free press," you know something is seriously wrong.
Demand that Amy and all those illegally arrested be released at once: Call Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman's office at 651-266-8535!
From The Washington Post --
By Holly Watt
ST. PAUL -- Democracy Now! radio host Amy Goodman and two producers were arrested while covering demonstrations at the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn. Goodman was released after being held for over three hours, but is still waiting to hear when Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar would be released.
"I was down on the convention floor interviewing delegates when I heard that two of our producers had been arrested," said Goodman. "I ran down to Jackson and 7th Street, where the police had moved in."
Goodman said that when she ran up to find out what was going on, she was also arrested.
"They seriously manhandled me and handcuffed my hands behind my back. The top ID [at the convention] is to get on the floor and the Secret Service ripped that off me. I had my Democracy Now! ID too. I was clearly a reporter."
Goodman, who was released after being charged with a misdemeanor, said that Salazar had been hurt in the face, while Kouddous had been thrown up against a wall and hurt his elbow.
"Nicole told me that as they moved in on three sides, she asked them 'How do I get away from this?' and they jumped on her."
Both Kouddous and Salazar could be held for up to 36 hours.
"One of the police kept shouting at me 'Shut up, shut up," she said. "It was extremely threatening."
