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For Immediate Release
September, 03 2008, 03:00pm EDT
Contact:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020,
or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167
Convention Clampdown?
WASHINGTON
EILEEN CLANCY
Founder of I-Witness Video, Clancy said today: "It seems that we've been targeted by the FBI for disruption. On Saturday, the FBI visited the house we were staying at and a few hours later it was raided by the police. Several members of I-Witness Video were held inside for at least three hours. I've never had a loaded gun pointed at me before. Five other members who were not at the house at that time were simultaneously detained on no basis. The way the government is acting -- no arrests, no apologies -- seems designed solely to disrupt our work.
"Our work at the Republican Convention in 2004 in New York City was able to help demonstrate that police officers made false sworn statements pertaining to their arrests of demonstrators; this has led to a series of lawsuits. I should be clear, we don't demonstrate, we just videotape and that taping helps prevent police misconduct. Apparently, that is threatening to the government."
Video about the Saturday raid on the house is online.
Goodman, the host of the program "Democracy Now!" was arrested Monday while attempting to question police about the arrest of two of the program's producers during a demonstration near the Republican Convention. Video of her arrest was the number one video on YouTube Tuesday.
The producers who were arrested are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, who filmed her own arrest.
For details, see "Democracy Now!" Tuesday and Wednesday.
More Information
Co-founder of CodePink, Evans said today: "I've never seen police conduct like St. Paul...." One of Evans' colleagues was struck by a police officer in Denver. Other footage of protests in Denver is available via the American News Project.
Director of the National Lawyers Guild, Boghosian said today: "The National Guard is here and empty streets surrounding the convention center look as though the city is under martial law.
"Some protests are allowed but they are encircled by police, with streets blocked off so that others may not join in. Sometimes people are allowed to leave, but often the strategy is to trap and detain. We've seen orders to disperse given, followed immediately by showings of force... [with] several concussion grenades, flash-bang grenades, and volleys of tear gas being launched at passive protesters in a stunning display of unnecessary force. The formula for the police here is a combination of intimidation and use of force absent probable cause."
For further information, see:
The Minnesota Independent and videos compiled by The Real News.
A nationwide consortium, the Institute for Public Accuracy (IPA) represents an unprecedented effort to bring other voices to the mass-media table often dominated by a few major think tanks. IPA works to broaden public discourse in mainstream media, while building communication with alternative media outlets and grassroots activists.
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