DN! Journalists Facing Charges for Reporting on the Republican National Convention

[Joanne98]

DN! Journalists Facing Charges for Reporting on the Republican National Convention

Charges against Amy Goodman still hold; Nicole Salazar and Sharif Abdel Kouddous could still be charged with FELONY RIOT
Please take immediate action to have the charges dropped

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - September 4 - Make your voice heard in the Ramsey County Attorney and St. Paul Mayor's offices. Demand that they drop all pending and current charges against journalists arrested while reporting on protests outside the Republican National Conventions.

CONTACT THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE - DEMAND THAT ALL CHARGES OR POTENTIAL CHARGES BE IMMEDIATELY DROPPED:

Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner [e-mail] and [e-mail] (cc: dropthecharges at democracynow.org) 651-266-3079
Susan Gaertner for Governor info at susangaertner.com (cc: dropthecharges at democracynow.org) [phone] [phone]

St. Paul Mayor Christopher B. Coleman [e-mail] [e-mail]@ci.stpaul.mn.us
(cc: dropthecharges at democracynow.org)



The Ramsey County Attorney's office is in the process of deciding whether or not to press felony P.C. (probable cause) riot charges against Democracy Now! Producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Please contact Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner by all means possible to demand that her office not press charges against Kouddous and Salazar.

The St. Paul City Attorney's office has already charged Amy Goodman with misdemeanor obstruction of a legal process and interference with a peace officer. Contact St. Paul Mayor Christopher Coleman by all means possible to demand that the charges against Goodman be dropped immediately.

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.

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, as was a photographer for the Associated Press.

IMPORTANT Be sure to cc: [e-mail] on all emails so that our team can deliver print outs of your messages to the St. Paul City Attorney, the Mayor and Ramsey County Attorney offices.

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2008/0904

[Bob Dobbs]

1. As many of us screamed when the vichy congress passed the patRIOT act

dissent has been criminalized.

Including factual reporting of journalists about the fascist republic party.