This is how she started her day.
http://www.archive.org/details/dn2008-0901_vid

She went to see what had happened to her bosses, and they arrested her for some bullshit charge. Conspiracy to riot my ass.

Arrest her for the real crime, failure to abide a lawful order. Stupid cops, of course she isn't going to listen to you. False imprisonment and violation of the freedom of press.

These cops have just lost their minds.

They're no different than stormtroopers.

In the land of the free and the home of the brave

She's not being arrested just being helped to the airport in one of those 12 person Vans.

Its obvious she held her hands behind her back because she cut her hands while being helped to the Van. She didnt want to get blood on the front of her shirt. That never comes out you know...

Well look .. the police are dressed in riot gear. They have to arrest someone for attempted riot, right? They have a plethora of weapons and sticks for which to beat you with.... don't raise your hand up in self-defense or face a beating, arrest, beating, lockup, beating, bail fees, beating, court date, jail.

Sounds like quite a ride.. and as a bonus you get made up charges thrown against you.. what a hoot!

This is a huge mistake, arresting Amy Goodman of all people. I think maybe the cops didn't know who she was - I mean the woman has interviewed Chomsky, Nader, Wesley Clark, Naomi Klein... She's got friends.

Man...arresting Amy Goodman is like arresting fuckin walter kronkite, you just dont do it.

Those assholes are in for a supprise when they find out who she is.

>> ^charliem:
Man...arresting Amy Goodman is like arresting fuckin walter kronkite, you just dont do it.
Those assholes are in for a supprise when they find out who she is.

They don't care. Their job during the RNC is to harass and detain people. The courts will "sort it out" and all the citizens will be sent on their way AFTER they have no more opportunity to exercise their rights.

Moral of the story: The only rights you have are the ones you are willing to take by force.

The only rights you have are those in the US Constitution and your state's constitution and decided by supreme courts. Over the last decade these rights have been stolen and abused and it is because people elect the same assholes over and over again. Pelosi, Reid, Cheney and Bush should all be appearing in front of criminal courts. Technically trying to usurp and violate the Constitution used to be considered at the least a violation of Oath of Office, and more likely an attempt at treason.

I'd be incredibly surprised if these cops are part of the Minneapolis / St. Paul Police Dept. and not some RNC-instated federal troopers or, worse, some Blackwater-installed thugs. F'n ridiculous.

As a direct rebuttal to the off-the-wall (and off-the-deep-end) comments being posted, I direct you to joedirt's other post here: http://www.videosift.com/video/Video-from-Peace-March-in-Minn-RNC-Convention which clearly shows we do not live in a fascist police state and that freedom of speech is alive and well.

Please check your facts: she was not charged with inciting a riot. She was charged with interfering with an arrest. Off-camera, two producers were being arrested (they were subsequently the ones who received the felony riot charges)and she tried to break through the cops to get to them. http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/09/02/3295/amy_goodmans_arrest_when_journalists_are_the_story

What does how famous she is have to do with anything? She tried to walk through a police line while they were making an arrest. They asked her kindly to get back on the sidewalk. She ignored them. So they gently but forcefully moved her back to the sidewalk. What does she do? She turns right around and tries to charge right back through them. She ignored the officers' warnings, tried to interfere with the arrest, and deserved what she got.

Look, if this were a real fascist police state, guess what? There wouldn't even be a video of this. The cops would have whisked her away, confiscated the camera and the video, and no one would know this even happened and probably would never hear from her again. People who are claiming the U.S. is a police state or fascist nation need to go spend some time in North Korea and learn what a real police state looks like.

^Theres this thing called "degrees" you ever heard about it? Once we are at that stage its too late to peacefully act against the police state. Don't you realize that? I don't understand your argument from confiscation. How do you even know there aren't thousands of such videos being confiscated--you wouldn't hear about them if that was the case...

If theres anyone who needs to do something its you. How about you have the courage to stand up for even a single thing you believe in, and go try to protest for it? Then report back to us about your feelings on America.

*fear

Adding video to channels (Fear) - requested by blankfist.

Oh mein Führer!

>> ^joedirt:
Technically trying to usurp and violate the Constitution used to be considered at the least a violation of Oath of Office, and more likely an attempt at treason.

In that case, I suggest that protesters start arresting riot cops for treason, no-violently of course.

While this could be all that happened, there is nothing of what happened before this, she could have been doing something less than laudable immediately before the video started. While what is shown is highly infuriating, that they would arrest her that quickly, we possibly don't have the whole story. Context is a wonderful thing.

^ It is definitely frustrating to not have more context. I hadn't noticed the Goodman video had hit before I posted the video shot by her producer, Nicole Salazar, but it does add a little additional background video to what both sides are claiming occurred.

http://www.videosift.com/video/Democracy-Now-reporter-films-her-own-RNC-arrest

uhhhhhhh, background?? What occurred??? Amy Goodman occurred, and continues to raise the hackles of the Nazis in control..
She started her career as just another , easily labeled "liberal" public radio nobody, now in the national spotlight beginning to peel layer after layer of the onion of dark forces behind the facade, is beginning to expose the people behind the people you think is running the show, and it makes these non-humans want to sacrifice children and and drink the blood of innocents....
some of Amy's work that has caused her to be put on several "lists":
http://www.videosift.com/video/Infragaurd
http://www.videosift.com/video/Main-Core-Democracy-Now

She sees the forest for the trees....do y'all???

She has become braver and stronger, but you can see the toll it has taken on this soldier, in her eyes is much pain and frustration-she's on the front lines of exposing the hidden power structure and their ultimate agenda, and this is more evidence, we are getting close to some major event in the time-line of NWO, and major power grab-Look to the Asians and their cabals as well to flex,...they know full well the determination and will of the elite white boys, and the lengths they will go to secure empire has no moral or spiritual compass guiding it.....to the We's all caught in the middle???....well, chess was a game played by kings in the past, still is, and there are more pawns on the board expendable than needed for end game....

Wake the fuck up...

SDGundamX:

Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjALf12PAWc

And read her book:
http://books.google.com/books?id=FDaaGQAACAAJ&dq=inauthor:Naomi+inauthor:Wolf

Then you'll see why people are scared of this type of shit occurring.

SDGundhamX:

You are a fool, "we do not live in a fascist police state and that freedom of speech is alive and well"

Freedom of assembly? blah blah.. something about grievances? Oh nevermind, because your white ass knows better. It's not like you've ever tried to march in the streets or even attend a protest. I mean things look fine to you from YouTube, so clearly all is well and good. Some day you will have one of these paramilitarized stormtroopers with their boot on your throat confiscating your computer in a preemptive raid because of your thoughtcrimes or FISA snooping, and I hope to God at that moment you realize how foolish your statements were.

True, many of our freedoms are being slowly whittled away. This, however, is not an example of that.

She tried to break through a police line and repeatedly disobeyed a direct order while resisting the police.

Sorry. Can't do that in a free country either. She could have said whatever she wanted from the sidewalk.
She'll get a fair trial. The police don't interpret the law, judges do. She was detained for 3 hours and then set free.


Police state? Have you ever been to China or Russia? I believe we need to be mindful of legislation that impedes on our freedoms and reverse the downward trend, but we can't break the law to do it.

Stop whining.

Bull shit about this. The reasonable response is to ignore someone asking questions, not to physically shove them and then pull them back in under arrest.

For the record if you want to see what violence the cops are dealing with:
http://submedia.tv/

Hey, I'm not trying to say the police couldn't have handled the situation differently. Sometimes police make poor judgment calls. That's why we have the right to due process. It's a good thing this is a free country.

I'm trying to point out the fact that most people involved in this discussion are ignoring: She disobeyed a direct order from a police officer in a police line. He wasn't joking. He wanted her to move to the sidewalk. He could have been nicer to her. That doesn't give her a leg to stand on, legally speaking.

Come to think of it, I'll be REALLY surprised if the charges aren't dropped.

>> ^joedirt:
SDGundhamX:
You are a fool, "we do not live in a fascist police state and that freedom of speech is alive and well"
Freedom of assembly? blah blah.. something about grievances? Oh nevermind, because your white ass knows better. It's not like you've ever tried to march in the streets or even attend a protest. I mean things look fine to you from YouTube, so clearly all is well and good. Some day you will have one of these paramilitarized stormtroopers with their boot on your throat confiscating your computer in a preemptive raid because of your thoughtcrimes or FISA snooping, and I hope to God at that moment you realize how foolish your statements were.


First off, I live in San Francisco where we protest something just about every day. I've been to the war protests--never saw anybody getting arrested that didn't deserve it (ie started disrupting traffic by sitting in the street, etc.). So before you start talking smack about people you don't even know maybe you should just ask them a point blank question--like, have you ever been to a protest? I would have happily answered you without resorting to name calling.

Second off, you need to rein in your paranoia. You know how many people have been arrested at the RNC protests? Less than 300. You know how many people are protesting? Over 10,000. So I fail to see how your delusion of us living in a fascist country holds up. The vast majority of people who went to protest at the RNC got to get their message out peacefully.

Now, those 300 or so that have been arrested weren't just randomly targeted. The cops didn't just say, "Hey let's grab that guy." Those arrested were parts of crowds that were engaged in violent acts including the smashing of windows and the slashing of tires. That's not peaceful demonstration; that is by definition rioting.

Was everyone arrested guilty? No. Some asshat anarchists started it and obviously some people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time got caught up in the sweep. The courts will view the evidence and decide who did what. I imagine most of the charges will be dropped--something that would not happen in your imaginary fascist state.

Look, you're entitled to your opinion. You think America is becoming a police state? Great. I think you have the right to voice your opinion. But if you're going to go out there and shout that the sky is falling and that we're all fools because we don't agree with you then you shouldn't be surprised that you're met with total apathy or downright hostility in return.

SDGundamX,

Just so we are clear, can you explain in detail your requirements for assessing whether a country has become a police state? Also, can you explain where you think the US is in relation to said requirements?

>> ^deedub81:
I believe we need to be mindful of legislation that impedes on our freedoms and reverse the downward trend, but we can't break the law to do it.
Stop whining.


Yeah! Take that Boston Tea Party. Take that George Washington. Take that American Revolution. Take that Suffragettes. Take that Civil Rights whiners. Take that Underground Railroaders.

Just STFU and stop whining. It's all ok because this guy says nothing is wrong.

>> ^deedub81:
Police state? Have you ever been to China or Russia?

have you?

>>I believe we need to be mindful of legislation that impedes on our freedoms and reverse the downward trend, but we can't break the law to do it.

even if the law is fucked up? what do you suggest?

i guess the american revolution never should have happened because it was illegal, right?


>> Stop whining.

who's whining here?

At the end of the day Americans will get what they deserve. Just sit by and watch corruption completely overtake your country. I know I am, pass the popcorn please.

>> ^SDGundamXeople who are claiming the U.S. is a police state or fascist nation need to go spend some time in North Korea and learn what a real police state looks like.


Ah, the always useful false analogy, the statist's best friend.

Since political oppression isn't as bad in the USA as it is in North Korea, it doesn't really exist, and shouldn't even be remarked upon.

Since we've seen, time and again, police brutalizing and arresting people - people who were often not even involved with the protests - only to see those people released by a juge without charges 36 or 48 hours later - it's no big deal.

Bunch of whiners. What's a little false arrest and police brutality?

It's American as apple pie.