Breaking: Amy Goodman Arrested in St. Paul

During the Democratic National Convention, the coverage I most appreciated was that of Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, because Amy covered what was happening outside the Pepsi Center in Denver. She and her crew covered the protests in the street, the likes of Code Pink and Iraq Veterans Against the War. It was a very different look at American politics and rhetoric, and one I was grateful the program made available to me.

Amy and her crew are evidently following the same track for the RNC, with, however, much different results. I received word from a friend this evening that Amy Goodman and two of her show's producers were arrested in downtown St. Paul around 5 PM local time.

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.

You can read the story on the Democracy Now blog here, where you will find phone numbers for the mayor of St. Paul's office and the Ramsey Cty jail. We are asked by Democracy Now to call expressing our support for the three arrested Dem. Now personnel and our demands that they be released. They may, of course, by now have been released, but it won't hurt a bit to overwhelm these phone lines in the defense of freedom of the press.

Here is a video of Amy's arrest. If you were around in the sixties, it may well cause a serious case of flashback. And there's More at Memeorandum, too.



Technorati Tags: Amy Goodman arrested, Democracy Now, DNC, RNC, St. Paul police

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