Comments | jerrysnook: Jerry gets arrested. no, not really but sort of.

jerrysnook

Jerry gets arrested. no, not really but sort of.

Sep 08, 2008 19:46

As you probably know, I was up in the Twin Cities all last week covering the Republican National Convention for the news wire I work for. It was a long and interesting week. I'm glad I was there as it was an interesting experience, but it was also an incredibly long and tiring week. To top it off, I got cited and detained by police!

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Comments 5

laurapalmer813 September 9 2008, 01:47:55 UTC

I was going to call you and ask about your arrest when I saw Sarah's entry on facebook. Fucked up! I know they were arresting large groups of people, a lot of them folks who were just walking from one place to another downtown. I would bet the prosecutor will drop the charges against most, if not all, of the people who got them. But if not, I would totally fight it too!

Sounded like chaos laurapalmer813 September 12 2008, 21:28:33 UTC

From what you describe it was crazy...but with that...isnt it hard for the law enforcement to have to make split second judgements on the hundreds and hundreds of people that are there as to which ones are unlawfully protesting and the press? Things got out of hand all week (my mom works right downtown and witnessed it each day) and the press knew that confrontations like this were happening...that's why you were there right?
As the wife of a State Trooper I know the other side to this...trying to do thier job...mass craziness and expected to make perfect decisions. Can't happen. I hope you get the charges against you dropped. However....it's the nature of your job right. My husband may be killed at any point on his...and you, as a reporter just might get arrested trying to bring the conventions happenings to the world if you get caught up in what you are reporting on. Just my thoughts....

Re: Sounded like chaos jerrysnook September 12 2008, 21:46:35 UTC

Yeah, there's some truth in what you are saying. I wasn't bothered by the fact we were all rounded up on the bridge - after all, it was chaotic. However, once they realized that there were 19 legitimate members of the press there, it seems to me that the right thing to do would have been to check out our credentials (which I had, including RNC-issued credentials) and then let us go. It definitely was chilling to see the police act the way they did to the press. I saw camerafolk being pushed to the ground, a wire service reporter get threatened with mace, and all sorts of police-state stuff. Pretty awful to see that happening in St. Paul.

Any warning? roboticsquid September 18 2008, 16:36:30 UTC

Did they not give any warning? They just lobbed in the tear gas and flash grenades?

Re: Any warning? jerrysnook September 18 2008, 20:21:54 UTC

If there was a warning, I did not hear it. However, I was on the edge of the protesters who were marching. I was about ten feet off to the right of the main group. I was also about a half block behind the front line of the marchers. I heard nothing in terms of someone on a megaphone giving a "final warning" or anything like that. For me, it was sudden. All of a sudden there were tear gas and smoke bombs going off directly around me. In fact, one flash grenade bounced off of my shoe and went off a few feet from me. Another reporter was hit in the behind by a flash grenade! He was not seriously injured, but did suffer some burns. So, ultimately I can't answer that question - I simply am not sure if one was given or not.