'First Amendment rights can be terminated': When cops, cameras don't mix

[Damaso]

"Your First Amendment rights can be terminated," yells the Chicago police officer, caught on video right before arresting two journalists outside a Chicago hospital. One, an NBC News photographer, was led away in handcuffs essentially for taking pictures in a public place. He was released only minutes later, but the damage was done. Chicago cops suffered an embarrassing "caught on tape" moment, and civil rights experts who say cops are unfairly cracking down on citizens with cameras had their iconic moment.

Tales of reporters, protestors and citizen journalists being threatened or arrested for filming law enforcement officials during disputes are on the rise, critics say, with Occupy Wall Street protests a lightning rod for these incidents. The National Press Photographers Association claims it has documented 70 such arrests since September and, in May, called on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to focus attention on the issue.


http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/...be-terminated-when-cops-cameras-dont-mix?lite

 

[paulfish4570]

idiot fristrated cops. i have to wonder if they've been told to handle protesters and miscreants with kid gloves; then they turn to photographers, who do not fight back. and then the department gets all of the bad publicity it has been trying to avoid, except magnified. of course, if it's chicago, it could be the "godfather's" orders ... 🙂

 

[robklurfield]

shades of 1968... not a good thing.
I grew up there. Was just there last weekend. One of my favorite places on earth. I went to high school and was (back then) friends with the current Mayor. Rahm (Mr. Emmanuel, I'm fairly sure you don't visit RFF), this isn't a good thing! BTW, there were forty shootings in Chitown last weekend; 11 of them (at least as of last Tuesday) ended in fatalities.

 

[paulfish4570]

mayor emmanuel is a very interesting fellow. i think the obama administration went into a dither when he left, and has not recovered; i do not think it will recover.
tell us what kind of fellow the mayor was as a school boy. by the way, is he of lebanese maronite extraction or ancestrally similar? the "God-with-us" last name is very interesting to me ...

 

[mdarnton]

We need a new motto on our money: "Constitutional When Convenient". That would be more in line with contemporary government (Republican AND Democratic).

 

[splitimageview]

When the first amendment rights are terminated expect second amendment response.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Only if Marshall Law is declared can First Amendment rights be terminated. Marshall Law, I believe, was declared in New Orleans after Katrina and no rights were terminated, legally.

 

[KenR]

First Amendment rights do not extend to "crying fire in a crowded theater," but other than other rare events, they probably apply to most of us taking pictures in a public space, even if it at a protest.

 

[paulfish4570]

uh, that's martial law ... 🙂

 

[semilog]

When the first amendment rights are terminated expect second amendment response.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QDv4sYwjO0

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

shades of 1968... not a good thing.

People have been working hard since that year to bring things back to how they were before then.

 

[FrankS]

There was a fatal shooting last evening at the Toronto Eaton Centre. (shopping mall)
The police are asking for any pictures or video that may have been taken by the public during the incident. Sounds like they want to have it both ways.

 

[Keith]

The opening scene was like something out of 'Parks and Recreation!' 😛

That cop was having a bad day which is no excuse for his behaviour ... but I found it all quite comical!

But it's not of course!

 

[Trius]

Frank: I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Trius]

And then there's NDAA. But I'm not posting in this thread any more. I've experienced serious depression once, not interested in a repeat performance.

 

[Contarama]

The USA is steadily drifting towards a police and prison institution state. They generate huge amounts of revenue off of this stuff...then you have all this neighborhood watch vigilianty type crap going on...someone is making tons of money and stirring people up over that stuff...

Just remember the first thing the Nazi's did to consolidate their power over the whole country was to take control of the police forces...they did that before they took over the army...I'm not saying the USA is going to become like 1930's Germany but there are some scary parrallels...

 

[Bob Michaels]

OK, a handful of really stupid police officers said and did some really stupid things in front of TV cameras. I wish we did not have any really stupid police officers but that is simply too much to ask for.

What happened afterwards was really good. The really stupid police officers effectively got called down, the TV crew was released, and the police department issued a half *ssed apology. But, most importantly the video footage was allowed to be shown to the general public and nothing was suppressed.

This is good. This is real freedom of expression and freedom of the press. This is the US constitution immediately coming into play. Let us not forget there are many countries in the world where this does not happen.

Do not get hung up on the fact that there still are really stupid police officers. That will always be the case. Appreciate the fact that the freedoms were granted by the constitution and were immediately acknowledged by law enforcement.

 

[paulfish4570]

amen, bob, amen ...

 

[Keith]

Sensible conclusion Bob. 🙂

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

mayor emmanuel is a very interesting fellow. i think the obama administration went into a dither when he left, and has not recovered; i do not think it will recover.
tell us what kind of fellow the mayor was as a school boy. by the way, is he of lebanese maronite extraction or ancestrally similar? the "God-with-us" last name is very interesting to me ...

He's Jewish.