Journalists arrested, bloodied at Republican National Convention
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provided a tally today of the first media casualties from the Republican National Convention, where a radio host, two Democracy Now! producers and an AP photographer were hauled off to jail for doing their jobs, according to an AP story. The three broadcasters were covering protesters when they were arrested and reportedly bloodied by police officers. One was charged with obstruction and the other two face riot charges, according to a Democracy Now! press release. See a YouTube video of radio host Amy Goodman's arrest. The AP photographer, Matthew Rourke, was arrested at a protest as well (check out the photos), and was apparently released without charges.
The RNC is off to a rocky start. The Democratic National Convention was less eventful. Other than the arrest of an ABC producer who tried to film Democratic officials and donors on a sidewalk (see story), no journalists contacted Reporters Committee about being arrested in Denver.