[Vision2020] [Bulk] "Democracy Now!" Amy Goodman Arrested At RNC

[Sunil Ramalingam]

Paul,

I don't know if all members of the press have a right to be there.  I believe, from listening to an interview with Goodman on KRFP, that she and her colleagues had a right to be there.

They were not trying to enter anything.  They were covering a protest out in the street, not participating in it.  The police arrested two of the reporters, apparently for rioting.  When she tried to explain to the police that the reporters who got arrested were with her, and that they were reporters, and not participants, they arrested her too.

It seems to me that the police, whether in St. Paul or Denver or New York four years ago, are acting as private security for the parties.

Sunil 

> Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 18:53:06 -0700
> From: godshatter at yahoo.com
> To: editor at lataheagle.com
> CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] [Bulk] "Democracy Now!" Amy Goodman Arrested At RNC
> 
> It looked to me like they were in a parking lot, presumably that of the 
> venue for the convention.  I got the idea she was trying to walk past 
> them to get inside.  I could be wrong about that.
> 
> I guess the question I'm asking is, do all members of the press have a 
> right to equal access to this convention, or do those hosting the 
> convention have the right to bar individual members of the press they 
> don't wish to admit.  I'm guessing that barring individual members of 
> the press is well within their rights.
> 
> On the other hand, is it the job of the police to act as private 
> security for a public event, or to enforce the wishes of a private group? 
> 
> Paul
> 
> Kai Eiselein, Editor wrote:
> > If she crossed a barrier, such as police tape, she could be arrested. 
> > However, it looks to me like she was asking the police questions, and 
> > they didn't like it.
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------
> > From: "Paul Rumelhart" 
> > http://start.ubuntu.com/8.04/<godshatter@yahoo.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 7:34 AM
> > To: "Ted Moffett" <starbliss at gmail.com>
> > Cc: "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] [Bulk] "Democracy Now!" Amy Goodman Arrested 
> > At RNC
> >
> >> Anybody know what the applicable laws are here?  Was she on private
> >> property?  Is the RNC an invite-only event, or is it open to the
> >> public?  How does freedom of the press factor in?
> >>
> >> It did not look to me like she was arrested with undue force.
> >>
> >> Leaving aside the question of whether the decision to exclude a
> >> left-wing journalist looks good for the Republican Party, were her
> >> rights actually violated?
> >>
> >> By the way, I was amazed our President would make references to the
> >> "angry left" in his speech to the RNC yesterday.  No wonder our country
> >> is so divided.
> >>
> >> I wish I knew how the divide could be crossed.
> >>
> >> Paul
> >>
> >> Ted Moffett wrote:
> >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ
> >>>
> >>> ------------------------------------------
> >>> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
> >>>
> >>>
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> >>
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> >>
> > Kai Eiselein
> > Editor, Latah Eagle
> >
> 
> 
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