Video: St. Paul police taking tough line on protesters
posted at 9:45 am on September 2, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Last night, I got a dispatch from the Huffington Post — I’m on their e-mail list, it appears — informing me of the “illegal” arrest of Amy Goodman outside the Republican convention. The HuffPo posted a press release from Amy Goodman’s organization, Democracy Now, declaring her arrest “illegal” and unprovoked. The activists caught it on tape:
Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was unlawfully arrested in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota at approximately 5 p.m. local time. Police violently manhandled Goodman, yanking her arm, as they arrested her.
Goodman was arrested while attempting to free two Democracy Now! producers who were being unlawfuly detained. They are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Kouddous and Salazar 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.
Actually, Goodman’s crime appears to have been obstruction of justice and interfering with police in the performance of their duty — just from Democracy Now’s description. The video makes this even more clear. They tell her twice to move back, and when she refuses to cooperate, they arrest her. The police did not “violently manhandle” her; they arrested her in the normal manner by ensuring that she was physically secured, for their own protection.
Goodman had no right to interfere with the arrest of her colleagues. She could have bailed them out later, or perhaps found them an attorney, but interfering with police while making arrests is in fact against the law here in St. Paul and everywhere else. She wasn’t defending freedom of the press — she was trying to get herself arrested along with her activist partners.
I enthusiastically support the right of people to stage political protests, as long as they do not break the law. If they break the law, they had better be prepared to suffer the consequences. When those consequences arrive, pardon me if my sympathies lie with the police who keep our community safe and protect free speech for everyone rather than the agitators trying to disrupt the exercise of free speech in the Xcel Center this week.
Blowback
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I fully appreciate the value of dissent in society, but I wonder if the Amy Goodman sort of dissent with its paranoid fantasies about the total evil of America does any good for our nation. If dissent is to do any good, shouldn’t it be to fix a particular error? to slightly alter our course to something better? The dissent of Goodman and her ilk put some place where we can’t do really do anything about the problems, because it is so hopeless.
I don’t think it would suppress meaningful dissent to throw the book at Amy Goodman and punish her to the maximum for actions in Minneapolis. It may even help pave the way for more rational dissent–dissent capable of holding a serious conversation.
thuja on September 2, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Very professionaly done.
Unlike the arrest of the ABC producer. That was butality (choke holds aren’t allowed anymore)and possibly illegal. (I don’t know if the sidewalk was private or not, but in most cities they are considered public property.)
In this one, you can plainly hear them order her back on the sidewalk. You can also plainly see that they have a line demarcated by officers and that she crossed it.
Kudos to the St. Paul Police. Wish Denver hadn’t given the rest of us LE Officers a black eye.
opusrex on September 2, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Why are lib chicks ALWAYS so incredibly ugly? I mean really… homely as freakin’ hell. Must be a prerequisite or something.
ErinF on September 2, 2008 at 12:54 PM
Lefties can’t figure out that if you want to get things done, you must redress appropriately. That involves putting on a suit, and going down to the courthouse to speak you peace during your alloted time. Or you can stand on a street corner and peacefully hold signs and speak at a reasonable volume. As soon as they get all aggro, cuff ‘em and stuff ‘em.
JeffB. on September 2, 2008 at 1:09 PM
As a Southerner by birth, this episode reminds me of the wisdom of the “Brer Rabbit” story- “Don’t Arrest Me” = “Don’t throw me in that Briar Patch!”
She wanted her moments of fame, and got it. Her attitude seems to be “You can’t arrest them- or me. We’re journalists! Arresting us is wrong!” Even if she was trying to push past LEO and a police line, and disobeying police orders.
cs89 on September 2, 2008 at 2:04 PM
Take no prisoners…
The more lumps, and head knocking, the better.
byteshredder on September 2, 2008 at 2:12 PM
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
*catches breath*
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Mortis on September 2, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Just curious. Do masked punks do stuff like this in Right to Carry states? I’ve never known them to be a problem here in Virginia.
If nothing else, the cops should be using rubber bullets at a minimum on these worthless shreds of human debris.
TugboatPhil on September 2, 2008 at 3:16 PM
She shoulda listened. (and took a bath)
crazy texas on September 2, 2008 at 3:40 PM
Disobey a police officer’s order ONCE and you can get locked up, this moonbat ignored them twice.
Case closed.
NoDonkey on September 2, 2008 at 3:41 PM
Point One: As a matter of law: No one. . .NO ONE. . .has the right to resist arrest (or aid in someone else’s resistance), EVEN IF there is no question that the arrest is either illegal or unconstitutional. There exists no legal right to resist even an illegal arrest. (Goodman should get some noticable jail time.)
Point Two: Does anyone remember the name of the that idiot girl who, you know (Schmooooshhh!!!!), was protesting Israeli bulldozers???
Sheesh… birdbrains of a feather… Goodman, like whatshername, think that the law does not apply to her, and that she can engage in any conduct if they believe their “cause” is just.
Whatshername learned otherwise.
seanrobins on September 2, 2008 at 3:54 PM
I was going to post some of my astute thoughts… but you summed them up swimmingly!
twoarmman on September 2, 2008 at 4:05 PM
Final question from camera man. “Where are you taking her?” Jail, stupid. Here’s yer sign.
opiemuyo on September 2, 2008 at 4:33 PM
makes them really bitter, which in turn, makes them liberal.
seanrobins on September 2, 2008 at 4:38 PM
Wow, the system works.
Dollayo on September 2, 2008 at 4:45 PM
Thats right fellas kick ass, take names, and bust a few heads if you have to. Suprise suprise you stinkin hippies.
sonnyspats1 on September 2, 2008 at 5:31 PM
She should have been arrested years ago for that trashy program she has on cable. With all the brilliant pundits out there, Witch Hazel has her own show?
Does she live in a Ginger Bread house with a big oven?
Hening on September 2, 2008 at 6:20 PM
“Officer, may I suggest using your night-stick.”
sMack on September 2, 2008 at 7:54 PM
Seems an appropriate level of restraint was used. In both meanings.
desertdweller on September 2, 2008 at 9:38 PM
But why should all the other prisoners suffer?
Shy Guy on September 3, 2008 at 2:29 AM
It’s so refreshing to come back to Hot Air commentary after glancing at the Youtube feedback… the first comment has 155 thumbs-up:
You have to wonder what these people are like in real life. Black holes composed of ignorant hatred, perhaps?
Andrew D on September 3, 2008 at 3:03 AM
I am a paramedic that was embedded with the police division involved in this action.
I saw Amy Goodwin many minutes after the scene was controlled. She spoke to several officers, including the division commander, and ignored many orders to remove herself from the area. While I did not see the arrest, it came after repeated warnings to leave. The video that I have seen is only a small portion of what transpired and is, in my opinion, purposely misleading.
dwp4401 on September 7, 2008 at 7:29 AM
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