Overnight crackdowns continued in Ferguson, MO on Monday, despite a promise to end the curfews. Police reported 31 arrested, though the actual jail records showed 78 protesters were captured over the course of the evening, virtually all on charges of “refusing to disperse” (read: protesting). Police fired tear gas and incendiaries into the crowds, and tried to herd people into ever-shrinking “free speech zones.”
In addition to the protesters, police were moving more aggressively against reporters, with six more captured overnight and into Tuesday morning, including an entire crew of German journalists.
Among the German journalists was Ansgar Graw, who noted he had covered the Georgian Civil War, various conflicts in the Gaza Strip, and had even snuck into Soviet Kaliningrad during the Cold War, but his first arrest came today, at the hands of St. Louis police.
The reporters say no violence was going on ahead of their capture by police, but that police came and ordered them to “keep moving.” When they started walking in small circles, they were all arrested. Police refused to give their names, taking the three to a St. Louis jail. They were denied a phone call, and released without explanation several hours later.
So far, materially all of the reporters arrested by police were released without charges, and the whole goal seems to be intimidation and a chance to rough them up a bit, even though they have nothing to realistically charge anyone with. This reflects the treatment of many of the protesters as well, though using the tactic on journalists is fueling a lot of extremely negative press.
I suggest unlawful arrest law suits, breach of civil rights, breach of Moranda rights placed on their boss would be in order! Off to the nearest Federal Court!
What Miranda rights. any longer?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berghuis_v._Thompkin…
I'm sure I'm not the only one to notice that as the protestations of the political filth about what a tiny minority the looters are get shriller and shriller, those forces charged with repression get larger and more violent.
I beg to differ. It is not the police at all. The problem is the exploitative race-pimps, our leftist sensationalist media, always looking to stir up the pot with biased and often inaccurate reporting, and the general pathology of our times. 36 people were shot this weekend on Chicago's south side. You don't hear a peep about that though, do you? It doesn't fit the "white racism" media, cultural Marxist narrative.
So *now* you're worried about exploitation!
I thought "conservatives" might be against shooting an unarmed person 6 times or the police driving armored vehicles through the streets, mass arrests including of reporters.
Where are the militia groups here, with the open carry & the Don't Tread on Me flags..? Crickets…
Dan, could you please explain to us how you think it is even possible for the US corporate media to be "leftist"? What strange magical ability to do you think 'leftist" journalists have that allows them to get hired and then publish things that ignore the whims and interests of the large corporations that employ them? Seriously, Dan, have you ever had to work for any employer? Have you ever been able to ignore your boss's preferences and just follow your own ideological beliefs? Or maybe you think the very wealthy and powerful people who own those giant media conglomerates are all secretly a bunch of Marxist radicals? Do you actually believe that a group of very powerful capitalists are for some reason trying to overthrow capitalism?
Yes, but why does it have to be either or? Unfortunately, police brutality and militarization of police is a problem, there's no denying it. And so is everything else you cite, and there's no denying that either. And that makes the solutions much more difficult and of larger scope. Dark times head for America…
End of the rule of law. It's been going on for a while, but maybe now that reporters get to feel it, maybe they'll start caring?
> When they started walking in small circles, they were all arrested.
Presumably for trolling.