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September 3, 2008
Video of Pacifica Radio Producer Arrested at RNC
Yesterday we showed you the video of Democracy Now! (airs on KPFK 90.7 FM) host Amy Goodman being arrested by police at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN. When she was arrested, she was trying to find out what happened to the producers of the show who were arrested earlier that afternoon.
Here's what’s happening in this video: producer Nicole Salazar, who is reportedly wearing the full official press pass information around her neck, is filming a protest. Riot police come swarming in from three sides. You can hear her saying "Where do you want me to go?" as they’re rushing the crowd. She screams “I’m Press! I’m Press!” as she’s being pushed by them. They take her down to the ground, stomp her face in the asphalt, one officer puts his elbow in her back, the other picks her up by her leg, she tries to keep her face up off the ground so it doesn’t get macerated from being dragged while elbow is in back and other is holding her leg. She ends up with a bloody nose and a scratched up face. And she’s still detained. (info from witnesses)
Her charge? Conspiracy to riot.
LAist contributor Anjali Taneja contributed to this post
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Truly frightening.
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We live in a Police State.
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Last night we got the royal treatment, too -- in the form of tear gas. http://gnooze.com/archives/235
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that gave me chills. her yelling "where am i supposed to go?" and "i can't see!" and "i'm press!" and them just saying "get on your face!" and "move move move!" are terrifying.
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If I were a riot police man, in a riot situation, I don't think I'd be able to prioritize characterizing who is a rioter and who is not; if there is a mass of people in an area, you're not exactly looking for press passes.
wtf was she doing there if there was a riot-like situation? If she was filming a documentary there, she fully assumed this risk.
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""wtf was she doing there if there was a riot-like situation? If she was filming a documentary there, she fully assumed this risk.""
Are you serious!?!? She is PRESS....ever hear the saying, "If the Press didn't tell us, who would?"
IT'S HER JOB YOU CLUELESS MORON!!!
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SHE ASSUMED THE RISK.
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Sure, she may have been reporting, and, hell, maybe she's an awesome reporter for reporting the riot (especially within the riot)...., but, i mean, fuck, that's also incredibly stupid because then when this happens you have no one to blame but yourself.
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"Last night we got the royal treatment, too -- in the form of tear gas."
But isn't that what you planned on receiving?
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Everyone is guilty in grendel's eyes, except grendel and fellow pin heads.
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Should any tax payer really have to assume the risk of law enforcement deliberately abusing their power to violently abuse and unlawfully arrest law-abiding citizens for doing nothing?
Last I heard there wasn't a regulation against not participating in a "riot" (seriously, how loosely this term can be used is mindblowing) around riot police.
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if i recall correctly, at the G8 summit, there were a group of "anarchists" that had rocks in hand and were about to insinuate a riot....it turned out that the anarchists were actual off-duty police officers there to create a violent situation amongst a peaceful protest.
i see nothing different here.
i have yet to see a video of the anarchists that supposedly started this riot in which members of the press were roughed up and jailed.
isnt it great how there are no name badges, their faces hidden behind masks and no other identitifiable marks so that they are not held liable for violating a free persons rights.
there are no weapons or aliens or spacecraft at area 51...thats the place all of these NWO officers and demolition experts live.
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Thanks for the ad hominem's, boys.
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"We live in a police state"
oh brother... .
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Perhaps if they had at least tried to distinguish themselves from the crowd by dressing a bit more professionally and not wearing black clothing, they might have not been confused for anarchists.
Also, people should keep in mind that police officers in riot gear helmets can't hear very well, so screaming "press" isn't going to accomplish anything but rather just add more to the confusion.
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I wouldn't expect you to notice Kev.
Right wads like yourself have been happy as pigs in shit these last 8 years, getting pretty much everything you've ever dreamed of.
The party's over in Nov. though, hope you didn't get too attached to that right wing agenda Kev.
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That's scary. I don't doubt that there was aggressive use of force, but in a situation like that I'd want everyone in custody before I started picking out who was friend or foe.
Kneeing her in the back or dragging her is ridiculous, there's no need for that, but what the situation looks like from the officers eyes is far different from ours.
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Wow. I am reading Pacifica Radio's interview with Amy Goodman, and her facts are not matching up with LAists.
Her words:
"I was in there for a few hours. they charged me with a misdemeanor, interstingly with obstructing a "peace officer." Officers should act as peace officers, that is a very good idea. Ultimately, I was let out and our reporters were just let out. They were originally charged with Probable Cause Felony just because they went to cover protests that were taking place here on Labor Day."
http://election411.org/article/id/3601163/amy-goodman-just-after-release-jail
What is up with that? Zach's posting was on the 3rd, but Pacifica Radio's interview with AG is on the 1st.
Bullshit. At least get the facts straight...
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Here's an interesting article...
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/35802
...not that I dare think we live in a police state or anything.
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Yes Kev, a police state.
Our nation's "Peace Officers" have slowly been transforming into a Militarized Enforcement agency. SWAT Teams are no longer distinguishable from the officers who walk the beat. The transformation started with the creation of the DEA, but within the last 10 years it has skyrocketed.
Police cracking down on protests is nothing new obviously, but the methods, tactics, tools and nation wide policies have. Law Enforcement agencies have been re-tooled to fight the "War" on drugs. So, when protesters assemble, the only way they know how to react is with force.
We live in a Police State.
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"What is up with that? Zach's posting was on the 3rd, but Pacifica Radio's interview with AG is on the 1st."
scotyosh, this article has nothing to do with the Amy Goodman arrest other than it was done at the same convention by the same police force.
"At least get the facts straight..."
Get YOUR facts straight scotyosh.
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Nicole Salazar, with big videocamera and press badge brightly displayed around her neck, is caught up in a "riot". The video is above. STILL people comment saying things like what are the police supposed to do in a riot situation? and she assumed the risk, and why did she put herself in that situation?
Watch what you're saying.
Think about protecting civilians. You can see clearly in the video (and if you do some other video searching on youtube or listen to what the legal observers have to say) that peaceful protests are being broken up with the pretense that they're "riots". Look Nicole Salazar is still being detained with the official charge of CONSPIRACY TO RIOT. Is she trying to cause a riot? Does it make you pause, think for a SECOND, that maybe others who the "peace officers" were running towards weren't actually rioting?
And please, i'm sorry, but it's offensive to hear that people "deserve" to be detained or arrested. It really is.
And let's say, let's just say for a second, that the riot police had to protect the peace in the area and actually had a reason to ambush the area where Nicole Salazar was. Did they REALLY have to tackle her to the ground, when she wasn't fighting back, and knee her and drag her? DID THEY? Think about it. Sometimes we give up our rights too easily. Just keepin' the peace, maam.
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I guess this makes sense in a way. Why would the Republicans want reporters around actually...reporting when they are so used to paying for favorable stories and hand feeding said authors with all the "facts."
The concept of an actual person, mike in hand, note-pad in the other with a videographer in tow mush resemble a terrorist threat.
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Honestly the video to me is a tough call. We get the vantage of what they were seeing (riot police charging) but I'd like to know weather or not there was a warning to disperse or if the "riot" was happening behind them and that's where the police were headed to.
Honestly a press pass can be faked very easily, I've done it for my own personal gain. Nothing like a NRC but rather concerts. (shhhhh)
I'm surprised there is not a designated area for press and different area for onlookers and protesters.
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Wow. Ms. Salazar is NOT being detained still. Not sure why it is still being reported on here that she is. Bullshit.
http://election411.org/article/id/3602180/dns-nicole-salazar-and-sharif-abdel-kouddous-their-arrest-yesterday