Connecticut activist arrested for attending parade & his name was on a list

[NewJeffCT]

A political activist and freelance journalist, whose crime was apparently trying to call out Governor Jodi Rell for avoiding debates with the Green Party candidate for governor last year, was arrested last week at the governor’s inaugural parade. The arresting police said his name was on a list of potential trouble-makers. It seems even in Connecticut, the police are keeping lists of certain types of people.

Ken Krayeske, the man arrested, was also a Green Party candidate for statewide office last year.

To her credit, Gov. Rell has called for a full investigation.

Colin McEnroe has a few bits on the incident here, including a link to his interview with Public Safety Commissioner Boyle:
http://blogs.courant.com/colin_mcenroe_to_wit/

Including a link to this is bit about somebody photographing Bush protestors in Hartford last year:
http://ctnewsjunkie.com/index.php/2006/10/05/hartford_protest_of_bush_administration


Mayor Asks Police To Review Political Activist's Arrest
January 10, 2007
By TINA A. BROWN, Courant Staff Writer

Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez asked city police Tuesday to review the arrest of political activist and free-lance journalist Kenneth Krayeske.

"I want to make sure that all departmental policies and procedures were followed correctly and I would like clarification of the role played by the Connecticut State Police in the arrest," Perez said in a prepared statement.

<snip>

State lawmakers, who have criticized the arrest, said Krayeske did nothing that could have been perceived as a threat.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ctkrayeske0110.artjan10,0,7618469.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

More:
An editorial from the Courant earlier this week… and this is a newspaper that endorsed Bush in 2000 and 2004.
A Lack Of Intelligence
January 9, 2007

Ken Krayeske, a free-lance and Web journalist, law student and political activist, suggested on a website that there be a protest at Gov. M. Jodi Rell's inaugural ball last week.

Though both the suggestion and the act are perfectly lawful, this and another innocuous posting apparently landed Mr. Krayeske on a list of people viewed as "possible threats" to the governor. Being on the list got him arrested and tossed in the lockup when he attended Mrs. Rell's Wednesday inaugural parade to take pictures.

Even in an atmosphere of heightened security, the First Amendment is still in effect. The arrest was outrageous.

Mr. Krayeske rode his bike close to a section of the parade route and began taking photos for stories. He was arrested and charged with breach of peace and interfering with police. He was held for more than 12 hours, initially on $75,000 bail, and then released on a promise to appear.

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/hc-krayeske.artjan09,1,3417375.story?coll=hc-headlines-editorials-7day

[Atman]

1. There are some scathing LTTE in the Courant this morning

People are PISSED about this. As well they/we should be.

.

[NewJeffCT]

3. I'm surprised nobody on DU posted about it yet

and, yes, that "Weapons of Mass Communication" one was terrific.

[LeftCoast]

2. This is really outrageous!

I hope the guy sues the crap out of the folks responsible for this.

:kick:

[caligirl]

4. mcCarthy is alive since 2000. Or is it just alive in the GOP

[NewJeffCT]

6. I wouldn't be surprised

It would not surprise me if everybody who has visited DU (and other left of center sites) more than a few times is on some sort of "list" somewhere.

[High Plains]

5. I hope he can win a false arrest lawsuit.

Hit those cops where it hurts--in the pocketbook.

[NewJeffCT]

7. I hope so, too

and, I hope something comes out of why they are keeping "a list" of people whose only crime was being politically active.

[NewJeffCT]

8. evening kick

Orwell arrives in CT

[NewJeffCT]

9. morning kick

I'm sure this got lost in the talk about Bush's speech.

[rpgamerd00d]

10. Its Illegal to ride a bicycle "fast" now ? wtf?

But the investigating officer said he saw Krayeske "suddenly ride a mountain bike at a high rate of speed directly up the parade route, dump the bicycle, jumping off of it, and then running up to the parade procession directly in front of where the governor was passing by in the procession."

:wtf:

[dogday]

11. $75,000 Bail for this?

He was arrested and charged with breach of peace and interfering with police.

[WinkyDink]

14. "[I]nterfering with police" means he ASKED them why he was being arrested.

[rman]

12. So it appears some state police are on the side of "Minority Report" law enforcement

(preemptively arresting "potential trouble makers") - and they run into local authorities who practice a more traditional law-enforcement.
Interesting.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

13. So He Did Nothing But Show Up? What Utter Bullshit.

Personally, even if I feel the protest was stupid and that there's no real reason to take green candidates seriously anyway, that's irrelevant when it comes to his right to protest peacefully. Getting arrested for merely showing up, and being on a 'list' just because he engages in protest, is simply nothing short of complete and utter bullshit.

[Atman]

16. Well, it was a little more than just "showing up."

He ran into the street in front of the parade route, apparently to take a picture or something. Hell, maybe he was going wave a protest sign, but I don't think he had one. But please, while this is certainly the proverbial "travesty of justice," it doesn't need to be over-dramatized. It's bad enough just on the facts!

.

[NewJeffCT]

17. Supposedly

The governor - the person he was supposedly a threat to - had long gone past where he was, anyhow.

[WinkyDink]

15. Somebody in the CT Staties needs to read his political history; i.e.,

what happened to the 10,000 protestors illegally arrested by John Mitchell's "Justice" Dept back in the day.

LOTS of $$$$$ in compensation.