Occupy Crackdown Targets Journalists
For the past two months I have been tracking journalist arrests at Occupy protests around the country. Tuesday, Nov. 15, was the worst day yet in terms of police suppression of the press.
It all began in the middle of the night, when police moved in at 1 a.m. to forcibly evacuate Zuccotti Park, the original Occupy Wall Street encampment. Not long after the park raid began, journalists on Twitter began to report that they were being blocked from covering the police actions. Before long, more reports of police harassment, abuse and even arrests began rolling in.
By dawn 10 journalists, including reporters from NPR, the Associated Press and the New York Daily News, had been arrested. Since the birth of Occupy Wall Street two months ago, 23 journalists covering the movement have been arrested and countless others have been roughed up, tear-gassed and pepper sprayed in cities including Chicago, Denver, Oakland and Portland. There have even been reports of police using high-powered strobe lights to disable video cameras and block people from recording police actions.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the police kept the media away “to prevent a situation from getting worse and to protect members of the press.” But according to the New York Times, one journalist told a police officer “I’m press!” and the officer just responded “Not tonight.”
If the mayor of our country's largest city thinks protecting the press means silencing them, we're in big trouble.
Almost exactly three years ago at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., more than 50 journalists were arrested, including Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and two of the show’s producers, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. The video of Salazar’s violent arrest is a haunting reminder of why we need to defend our free press.
At the time, Free Press launched an online petition and organized residents of St. Paul to call city hall. Within days we had more than 60,000 petition signatures and held a rally on the steps of city hall calling for the release of all detained journalists and demanding all charges be dropped. Most journalists were released a few days later and just a few months ago, Amy Goodman and other journalists received a settlement from the St. Paul police.
It’s time for the public to stand up again. We are launching a new effort to demand Mayor Bloomberg and the U.S. Conference of Mayors publicly commit to upholding the First Amendment. Add your name now.
Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Free Press does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media and universal access to communications.
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Voice of the Internet Suppressed
I write this is in response to actions taken by large Newspapers in Texas to censor opposing views via comments. The vast majority of writers to these comment sections (E W Scripps - Corpus Christi Caller Times) who are liberal in their political views are being banned for life.
In viewing other publications they too have curtailed or completely eliminated the comment section. It would be apparent to the casual observer that the 1% has given out the marching orders and dissension will not be tolerated.
OWS suppressed. $850K offered for smear OWS
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/nov/25/shocking-... The truth about the crackdown on OWS..
Follow the money.
In part
" Journalist Chris Hayes reported on a leaked memo that revealed lobbyists vying for an $850,000 contract to smear Occupy." OWS is getting to the pockets of the bankers.
The No 1 agenda item: get the money out of politics. Most often cited was legislation to blunt the effect of the Citizens United ruling, which lets boundless sums enter the campaign process.
"No 2: reform the banking system to prevent fraud and manipulation, with the most frequent item being to restore the Glass-Steagall Act – the Depression-era law, done away with by President Clinton, that separates investment banks from commercial banks. This law would correct the conditions for the recent crisis, as investment banks could not take risks for profit that create kale derivatives out of thin air, and wipe out the commercial and savings banks.
"No 3 was the most clarifying: draft laws against the little-known loophole that currently allows members of Congress to pass legislation affecting Delaware-based corporations in which they themselves are investors.
These are the chief points for OWS
1. Get the money OUT of polotics.
2. Get the monopoly out of the banks.. restore Glass-Steagall
3. Close the loopholes on the rats that use them to get rich.
dont be so surprised. we
dont be so surprised.
we really are the 99%.
take photos, make lists - these people who assume to harness us will all be in jail one day very soon.
do not forget.
do not forgive.
Bill of what?????
The First Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.
The Freedom of the press is generally understood as prohibiting the government from interfering with the printing and distribution of information or opinions.
Our Founding Fathers broke away from England because of Oppression and Greed of the country's ruler. They decided to start a new republic with a basic Bill of Rights.
These freedoms are what defines us as a country. There are many similarities from then and now. Oppression and Greed are creeping back in and taking our freedoms one by one.
While some of the press has been corrupted, in my opinion, I still believe there are valid members that still take pride in reporting facts.
Mayor Bloomberg, what gives you the right to take those rights away?
Fight the second US Civil War unified.
Americans, this goes beyond political parties. Our rights are at stake, our ability and freedom to dissagree. We should be afraid! Republicans, you want the government taken from our families, but, look! These schemes, these things you are supporting out of fear, mistrust of the Obama administration are deeper in our lives than ever, with more laws and less ability to make our own way! Democrats, the administration we once trusted is no longer behind the liberal idea, supporting us. These politicians are using our country for their greeds, the corporations have made bonds and ties with them to keep us oppressed and milk our money, our livelihoods, and sit high and mighty as we sit relegated to turmoil under their might measured only financially, which buys them the means to keep us quieted through weapons and technology. They rely on our dissagreements to keep us separated, from unifying against them! They are the monsters to fight, or nobody will have right to carry concealed weapons or right to abortion- and conservative or liberal ideas of any kind will be stripped away from our abilities to make decisions freely on these to be or not to be realities. It is no longer dems. vs. reps. but the people vs. the 1%. Our rights are all disappearing, and the rate of degredation has begun faster than it ever has. I refer to revolutionaries such as Naomi Wolf and her writing "The End of Amerca" where ideologies of fascism established in Germany in WWII is compared to the movements begun today. Look at the parallels. They stopped working for any of us! Absolute power corrupts absolutely! We need to fight, to unify and over through. We have something these corporations and politicians never will have; our numbers, our abilities, and furthermore, our true determination and spirit.
Who is a dog?
@Curtis: Watch who are you calling a dog. ;-) The police have also been co-opted by corporations and governments that have been bought out by corporations to do their bidding. (Media and media "celebrities" included.) When police have to hide their actions from the press, there is probably something there they want to get away with. If the arrests are all legal, they have nothing to hide. They are the ones who should be explaining why what they are doing is legal, not the other way around.
I think if you spent time with any individual reporter -- not the prepared broadcast or the finished article, but the journalist -- you might find they are keenly aware of issues of trust as well. www[dot]dogwalkblog[dot]com/who-do-you-trust[dot]html Regardless, the freedom of the press was seen as something so critical to a democracy that it is the second right enumerated in the first amendment to the Constitution.
As a citizen, it is your responsibility to determine the degree to which you trust the reporting of journalists. You do this by staying informed and educated, seeking out multiple sources and deciding for yourself what is the truth. If you rely on one source, you deserve to be lied to.
The GOP is right about one thing.
The GOP is fond of saying government is the problem, they are half right, it’s the GOP half that is the problem. Get rid of them!
Not Even Mubarek Stopped Reporters
It is vital to our freedom to have the news media covering any - and every - police action, especially since there is already heavily documented evidence of police abuse in breaking up Occupy movements in cities around the country. We didn't see the news media barred by Hosni Mubarek during Tahrir Square. Shame on you, Mike Bloomber!
Corporate Media
While I totally agree that the "Press" needs to be there covering these events, the lack of "Respect" shown you by the Police,(I am afraid you have brought on yourself). It is a well known FACT that the "Main Stream Media" is owned by "Corporations" who are in "BED" with the 1%. This may, or may not, include you, BUT, if not, you should seperate yourself and report those who are "SOLD OUT". When you sleep with DOGS, you are bound to get some FLEAS.
The PEOPLE depend on you to keep them informed, BUT, YOUR existance depends on those self same PEOPLE, being able to TRUST your reporting!
Please support Democracy over Fascism
The hard work of the Public is what created the wealth that the rich are living off of; America needs a healthy middle and lower class, or it will turn into a third world country that no one wants to live in. Save your Country by supporting the Rights of Americans to Free Speech!
Leave Journalists To Do Their Jobs
Journalists should be able to do their work without interference or risk of arrest.