Action Item: Freedom of the Press

It's hard to believe that in this country we're actually at the point where journalists can be intimidated and detained for no reason whatsoever and that we need to remind people of this thing we have called freedom of the press.

The watchdog group, I-Witness Video, held a meeting at a private residence when police surrounded the house and arrested everyone on the property. Keep in mind that this took place before the convention protests even started, and they had done absolutely nothing illegal.

Follow that up with the arrest of two Democracy Now! producers who were well within their rights to cover a breaking story (and charged with conspiracy to riot..???) and the subsequent arrest of Amy Goodman who was simply trying to find out where her producers were.

Finish it off with an AP photographer getting arrested at the same time for the highly egregious act of doing his job: covering the protests. A guy with press pass credentials and a camera just reeks of violent protest, doesn't it?

As Timothy Karr points out, freedom of the press extends to all journalists, not just the bubbleheads who are part of the mainstream entertainment media. Let's help the officials in St. Paul by reminding them of that fact, no matter how pesky it might seem to them or the other powers that be that cannot stand to receive criticism or watch their mistakes.

There is no ambiguity here.

Freepress has set up an action item page to send a note condemning the arrests of journalists and to drop all charges against them. Please take a moment to stop by and add your voices to the mix.

[H/T to Shaker HelenHuntingdon]