Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman Arrested at Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention- PREEMPTIVE RAIDS!
Martial Law at the RNC
If you deny that the U.S. is CURRENTLY under Martial Law you are not only locked into complete psychological denial you are an imbecile and a fool. Time to awaken; it is the Fall, the days are growing shorter.
Martial Law actually used to be called “Maritime Law” because Navies used to be the controlling/policing entity and primary military force of the globe. Then it was changed to “Martial Law.” Some still use “Maritime Law” especially old salty dogs.
But either way; local “law enforcement” and Homeland Security have basically fully made the transition into Federal Agents now.
After George HW Bush called up Martial Law in 1992 due to the Los Angels “Riots” of 1992 when the 1st Marines from Camp Pendleton, California and the 1st Armored Infantry Battalion form Fort Ord, California were deployed upon the city of Los Angeles. Under George HW Bush and for the first time in the history of the United States Posse Comitadus was repealed and US Federal Troops invaded their own country and killed their own people.
George HW Bush never truly and fully repealed his declaration of Martial Law once he called for it and that’s why he made his infamous “New World Order will be a success” speech that we all know and love so well…
Then it was only a matter of his son capturing the Throne so he continue the work his father King George I had began.
King George II has since installed 27 “Presidential Directives”, forced the FISA bill on the nation, empowered FEMA and created Homeland Security which all together completed his fathers earlier work and finalized the official but “unannounced” transition into full “Martial Law.”
Modern Definition of Martial Law:
Martial law is when military-like actions are taken upon a nations own citizens and constitutional and human rights are violated on a regular basis as part of a standard operating procedure (SOP).
It is when you cannot protest without a “permit” and your freedom of speech is silenced.
It is basically what they call a “police state”. It is when the “police” are trained by and act like federal officials/military police rather than the civilian peace keepers they are supposed to be.
It is when random AND permanent checkpoints are set up by Homeland Security and police officers like they have now all over the country especially along interstate-highway 8 and 10.
Many believe that martial law is ONLY when the actual Army/Marines/National Guard patrol the streets but this is incorrect as these troops are committed in Iraq and Afghanistan and attending to the other 1100 U.S. military bases that are outside of the U.S.
Homeland Security and the local police departments have been trained by federal agents and are federal agents and in these modern times are now enforcing obvious martial law.
The days of the Army rolling down the street in tanks is over as it is unnecessary because the U.S. citizens have been pacified enough and Homeland Security and the Police have been trained and armed enough to where this would surely be overkill.
Besides there are US National Guard bases in the majority of 30,000+ population towns and the troops are committed overseas.
A basic example of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for martial law would be the internment camps they have set-up in Colorado in preparation for the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
If the country was not under martial law setting up these kind of warehouse-style camps which are being hidden from the media and the citizens would not be permitted by the city, county or state.
Watch a White House press conference and/or go to your local court house and peak inside a court room and look at the American Flag.
You will notice that the flag will have gold tassel around it’s borders. If you understand this and have any education in these matters you would know in fact that it is a Federal Crime to attach ANYTHING to the American Flag.
The ONLY thing that can be attached to the American Flag by Federal law under penalty of prosecution are GOLD TASSELS, GOLD FRINGE and they can ONLY be attached in the case of MARTIAL LAW ordered by the President of the United States of America.
Of course under martial law information, education, news, networks and the internet (as seen nightly on FOX news and CNN) are censored therefor research on this subject is not the easiest although it can be done.
The only reference/evidence that they could give were actual military/Department of Defense manuals in which the assertion of Martial Law and the indicators of the fringed and tasseled flag were referenced.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2008
Contact: Mike Burke
UPDATE
Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar Released After Illegal Arrest at RNC
Goodman Charged with Obstruction; Felony Riot Charges Pending Against Kouddous and Salazar
ST. PAUL–Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar have all been released from police custody in St. Paul following their illegal arrest by Minneapolis Police on Monday afternoon.
All three were violently manhandled by law enforcement officers. Abdel Kouddous was slammed against a wall and the ground, leaving his arms scraped and bloodied. He sustained other injuries to his chest and back. Salazar’s violent arrest by baton-wielding officers, during which she was slammed to the ground while yelling, “I’m Press! Press!,” resulted in her nose bleeding, as well as causing facial pain. Goodman’s arm was violently yanked by police as she was arrested.
On Tuesday, Democracy Now! will broadcast video of these arrests, as well as the broader police action.
These will also be available on: www. democracynow. org
Goodman was arrested while questioning police about the unlawful detention of Kouddous and Salazar who 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.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were arrested on suspicion of rioting, a felony. While the three have been released, they all still face charges stemming from their unlawful arrest. Kouddous and Salazar face pending charges of suspicion of felony riot, while Goodman has been officially charged with obstruction of a legal process and interference with a “peace officer.
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Democracy Now! forcefully rejects all of these charges as false and an attempt at intimidation of these journalists. We demand that the charges be immediately and completely dropped.
Democracy Now! stands by Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and condemns this action by Twin Cities’ law enforcement as a clear violation of the freedom of the press and the First Amendment rights of these journalists.
During the demonstration in which the Democracy Now! team was arrested, law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force against protesters and journalists. Several dozen demonstrators were also arrested during this action, including a photographer for the Associated Press.
Amy Goodman is one of the most well-known and well-respected journalists in the United States. She has received journalism’s top honors for her reporting and has a distinguished reputation of bravery and courage. The arrest of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and the subsequent criminal charges and threat of charges are a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists.
Democracy Now! is a nationally-syndicated public TV and radio program that airs on over 700 radio and TV stations across the US and the globe.
Scenes from St. Paul — Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman arrested
Following up on this weekend’s extreme raids on various homes, at least 250 people were arrested here today in St. Paul, Minnesota. Beginning last night, St. Paul was the most militarized I have ever seen an American city be, even more so than Manhattan in the week of 9/11 — with troops of federal, state and local law enforcement agents marching around with riot gear, machine guns, and tear gas cannisters, shouting military chants and marching in military formations. Humvees and law enforcement officers with rifles were posted on various buildings and balconies. Numerous protesters and observers were tear gassed and injured. I’ll have video of the day’s events posted shortly.
Perhaps most extraordinarily, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now — the radio and TV broadcaster who has been a working journalist for close to 20 years — was arrested on the street and charged with “conspiracy to riot.” Audio of her arrest, which truly shocked and angered the crowd of observers, is here. I just attended a Press Conference with St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Police Chief John M. Harrington and — after they boasted of how “restrained” their police actions were — asked about the journalists and lawyers who had been detained and/or arrested both today and over the weekend. They said they wouldn’t give any information about journalists who had been arrested today, though they said they believed that “one journalist” had been, and that she “was seemingly a participant in the riots, not simply a non-participant.” I’ll have video of the Press Conference posted shortly.
UPDATE: Video of my exchange at the Press Conference about the arrested journalists is here. Matt Stoller asked a very good question as the last question. Interestingly, all of the standard journalists asked very police-sympathetic questions (“how much property damage was done? were all the criminals part of this same RNC Welcoming Group? How many police officers were injured (answer: none)), while all of the independent journalists — such as those from the superb, intrepid site, The Uptake — asked challenging and skeptical (i.e., real) questions.
UPDATE II: Video of Amy Goodman being arrested:
UPDATE III: Here are several photographs taken from around St. Paul from this morning — before the march or any of the protests started — showing how militarized the city was. For whatever reasons, the brigades of police officers would periodically chant military terms and march around in formation (“Double Time!”), while helicopters hovered overhead and Humvees drove by frequently:
Clearly, and particularly in the wake of this weekend’s thuggish raids, the intent was to create a highly intimidating, militarized and high-tension climate.
On a few other notes, Matt Stoller has a few additional photographs of some of the scenes around the city today. A 22-year-old intern from Utne Reader was caught in the middle of a tear-gas assault and was forced to lie on the ground with her hands behind her head for 15 minutes. She took video of the scene here. I’ll have an interview posted with her shortly. And Democracy Now is now reporting that Amy Goodman has been released, though there is no word on the two Democracy Now producers who were also arrested — Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar (the former of whom typically books my appearances on that show and the latter of whom had a nose bloodied while being arrested).
Finally (for now), here’s a woman being pepper-sprayed at close range by a marching legion of police while standing on the side of the road holding a flower.
UPDATE IV: The Washington Post has a few more details on the arrest of Goodman and the two Democracy Now producers. In addition to them, a photographer for Associated Press was also arrested today while covering the protests (h/t Edward Champion). An AP spokesman said of the arrest: “covering news is constitutionally protected, and photographers should not be detained for covering breaking news.” Democratic strategist and CNN commentator Donna Brazile was hit by pepper spray on her way into the Xcel Center.
Just as was true for the despicable home raids this weekend, there will be no shortage of people defending all of this (browse through the comment section here to see many such people). The fact that there were some criminals engaged in some destructive acts (who, needless to say, should have been arrested), apparently means that whatever the Police do both before and afterwards is justifiable (just as the existence of some Terrorists justifies whatever the Government does in many people’s minds).
UPDATE V: Here is the video as I walked around St. Paul today — including at the protest march. It also includes war opponent and Iraq veteran Jon Stolz arguing with various pro-war counter-protesters. Almost all of this footage was taken before the protests began and before any arrests were made:
UPDATE VI: From The Nation‘s John Nichols:
I was with Goodman earlier this afternoon, as she was reporting on the major anti-war demonstration. She and her crew were, as always, interviewing everyone they could in the calm, assured manner that has made the daily Democracy Now! program a widely-watched and well-regarded news programs on radio and cable television stations across the country.
Not only Goodman, but the entire Democracy Now team are professional journalists in the best sense of that term. Those who are simply assuming that they probably got what they deserved — and who are, more generally, defending the Police here simply because some actual criminals engaged in destructive behavior — are no different than those who justify anything and everything the Government does because there are some Terrorists out there and they’re really violent.
Source: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/09/01/protests/index.html
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