While everyone (including yours truly) was busy arguing the political and ethical implications of a pregnant 17 year old, the bloody fucking fascists of the St Paul Police Department arrested Amy Goodman while she was covering today’s RNC protests.

Yeah, that Amy Goodman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ

Glenn Greenwald reports that Goodman has been charged with “conspiracy to riot”:

I just attended a Press Conference with St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Police Chief John M. Harrington and — after they boasted of how “restrained” their police actions were — asked about the journalists and lawyers who had been detained and/or arrested both today and over the weekend. They said they wouldn’t give any information about journalists who had been arrested today, though they said they believed that “one journalist” had been, and that she “was sima participant in the riots, not simply a non-participant.”

Lots more RNC protest footage at The Uptake; news conference footage here; more on Goodman’s arrest from Cliff Schecter (note: FDL is currently down).

h/t pale @ ACR and Sylvia (via Twitter)

Update: lots more links at Sylvia’s place. The Uptake’s RNC protest blog reports that Goodman has been released. Will update once this has been confirmed.

Update 2: Via Mike in comemnts, Democracy Now! press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

www.democracynow.org September 1, 2008 Contact:

Dennis Moynihan

Mike Burke ST. PAUL, MN—Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was unlawfully arrested in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota at approximately 5 p.m. local time. Police violently manhandled Goodman, yanking her arm, as they arrested her. Video of her arrest can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ Goodman was arrested while attempting to free two Democracy Now! producers who were being unlawfuly detained. They are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Kouddous and Salazar 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 Sherrif Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were being arrested on suspicion of rioting. They are currently being held at the Ramsey County jail in St. Paul. Democracy Now! is calling on all journalists and concerned citizens to call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar. These calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman’s office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0). 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 Amenmdent rights of these journalists. During the demonstration in which they were arrested law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force. Several dozen others were also arrested during this action. 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 is a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists from the nation’s leading independent news outlet. 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.

Update 3: Democracy Now! producer Mike Burke just confirmed via email that Goodman has been released, but still faces charges; Kouddous and Salazar both remain in custody, so please call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Kouddous and Salazar. As previously mentioned, calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman’s office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0).



Update 4 Greenwald updates and links to a SF Chronicle interview with Goodman immediately following her release, in which Goodman says she was charged with a misdemeanor, and confirms that both Kouddous and Salazar have been released and face felony charges. Greenwald also notes that an AP photographer was arrested, and DNC superdelegate and CNN commentator Donna Brazile was pepper sprayed on the way to the Xcel Center. MyFox Twin Cities reports that as of 9:40 PM CDT, “283 people [have been arrested] for riot. 129 have been arrested for felonies, 51 for gross misdemeanors and 103 for misdemeanors”. (Apparently ‘anarchist’ is the new ‘terrorist’ as far as the St Paul PD’s public affairs office is concerned.)

Check out this post-arrest interview conducted with Goodman by FSTV:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THMVJQUGJLM

Also covering the arrest of Amy Goodman and the RNC 2008 protests:

Update 5: updated Democracy Now! press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 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.

As Juan Cole says, “Democracy Now! is among the few news programs that tries to deliver real news to the American public, not the babysitting pap that passes for such so often in the corporate media.” We at CFLF echo Democracy Now!’s rejection of illegal police intimidation and suppression of the press and call for all charges against Goodman, Salazar, and Kouddous to be dropped forthwith.