Arab American journalist arrested outside GOP Convention in St. Paul
September 1st, 2008Arab American journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous, a producer at Democracy Now, was arrested outside the GOP Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota along with host Amy Goodman and Nicole Salazar. They were covering a street protest.
The National Arab American Journalists Association, founded in 1999 and with 275 members nationwide, has issued a formal protest demanding the release of all three journalists.
“The National Arab American Journalists Association today protests the arrest of Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Amy Goodman and Nicole Salazar as they were reporting on a street protest outside of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul today,” said NAAJA coordinator Ray Hanania.
“NAAJA demands that the three journalists be released immediately. Their arrest while covering a street protest is a violation of the protections accorded journalists in this country.”
Here is the release issued by Democracy Now on the arrests:
ST. PAUL, MN-Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was unlawfully arrested in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota at approximately 5 p.m. local time. Police violently manhandled Goodman, yanking her arm, as they arrested her. Video of her arrest can be seen here.
Goodman was arrested while attempting to free two Democracy Now! producers who were being unlawfully detained. They are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Kouddous and Salazar were arrested while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. Goodman’s crime appears to have been defending her colleagues and the freedom of the press.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were being arrested on suspicion of rioting. They are currently being held at the Ramsey County jail in St. Paul.
Democracy Now! is calling on all journalists and concerned citizens to call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar. These calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman’s office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0).
Democracy Now! stands by Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and condemns this action by Twin Cities law enforcement as a clear violation of the freedom of the press and the First Amendment rights of these journalists.
During the demonstration in which they were arrested law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force. Several dozen others were also arrested during this action.
Amy Goodman is one of the most well-known and well-respected journalists in the United States. She has received journalism’s top honors for her reporting and has a distinguished reputation of bravery and courage. The arrest of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar is a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists from the nation’s leading independent news outlet.
Democracy Now! is a nationally syndicated public TV and radio program that airs on over 700 radio and TV stations across the US and the globe.
Video of Amy Goodman’s Arrest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ
ABOUT DEMOCRACY NOW!
Democracy Now! airs on over 650 radio and TV stations, including Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations; on public access, PBS, satellite TV stations (DISH network: Free Speech TV ch. 9415 and Link TV ch. 9410;
Sharif grew up in Cairo, Egypt. He joined the Democracy Now! staff in 2003 after leaving the lucrative world of corporate investment banking. As the U.S. led occupation of Iraq was in full swing, Sharif traveled to Baghdad with DCTV filmmaker John Alpert. In addition to shooting video footage in Iraq for Democracy Now! Sharif reported from the streets of Baghdad on the occupation.
– Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com
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That’s disgusting! And here I thought the USA valued free speech.
Totally.
Please keep us updated on when and whether they do get released. They better be compensated too!
Ray,
Was that the ’street protest’ where the anarchists dressed in black were breaking store windows and fighting with the police?
I suspect you friends just got a little too close to the action and arrested with the group to be sorted out later.
“That’s disgusting! And here I thought the USA valued free speech”
More than you’ll ever know or experience Esra’a. Ray is a good fellow but a bit of a propagandist seeking headlines, it’s in his journalistic blood.
What experience, you mean getting arrested? It’s not the first or last time that innocent journalists get arrested in the USA. I see no propaganda here, do you deny that Goodman and her colleagues were arrested? This is factual information. If anyone is being a propagandist then with all due respect; you make a much more fitting candidate.
This kind of defensive nationalism gets tedious to read after a while.
Interesting. They were NOT charged with breaking anything. They were protesting on the street. But rightwing fanatics always mix everything to make their point.
PatB is one of those Arab haters, in my opinion. No matter what happens, the issue in his mind — it seems — is first and foremost are they Arab or non-Arab, and at that point, principle applies. Thinks he loves America so much he doesn’t want to change it’s color from pure white to mixed. America is about immigration and free speech, and PatB doesn’t represent America, fortunately. He just has a heavy hand when it comes to the freedoms of others. In his America, all people are created equally it’s just that some are more equal than others.
The three journalists, one Arab, one Jewish and one Hispanic, were arrested filming the protest. Now, if the protest got violent, that’s a different story but the journalists are NOT accused of being engaged in the violence at all. BUT, because they were FILMING, they are accused of “fomenting” the protest — not the violence.
Try to distinguish between violence and protests, PatB. They are not the same.
And Esra’a, you are right on. Believe me, Bush and his criminal conspiracy called the White House will be gone and possibly Obama will be in charge and maybe he might charged Bush and Cheney with War Crimes — they deserve it
… but even if McCain wins, he’ll still be a better president than the “crook” Bush 
But then again, I’m only a Vietnam Veteran. By the way PatB … are you in the military? Nothing’s stopping you from enlisting and fighting in Iraq
Ray Hanania
Ray,
I was guessing the incident was the one I saw on TV where the anarchists were smashing windows and fighting with Police.
Under those circumstance the Police are within their legal rights to command “ALL” to disperse (like the Journalist at the Dem convention who was asked to leave, didn’t, and was arrested).
There were/are hundreds of journalists at the scene and in the area, so why were these three arrested…..probably required to disperse on police orders and failed to act/back off….
BTW Ray I served two tours in RVN, D Shield Storm, Somalia, Iraq and two years in Astan. Were you a boonie rat or a remf Ray?
Except he might die or get severely ill and his VP is total nuts! It’s still hard to top Bush, so we will see.
Esra’a,
“and his VP is total nuts”, interesting, why do you say this?
Ray,
Your tagging me a racist to discredit my opinion is rather passe.
Actually Ray I spent over 30 years in the service and loved my fellow soldiers. As you know the military is the most successfully integrated (long before general society) institution in our country.
I’ve served with too many fine fine Americans of all ethnicity and background to harbor ill will on that account.
I find that you are, though, preoccupied by racial issues and are so very quick to render every issue down to the that medium you like to work in.
I don’t know that you are a journalist reporting events but rather a commentator pushing a point of view under the guise of simply reporting.
Esra’a,
I am a nationalist, can’t help it, always have been. I don’t quite see the reality of the one world order just yet.
Ray,
These arrests are not a case of anit-Arab bias – but as your headline implies, the only “important” factor about these 3 journalists who were arrested is that one was Arab American.
As you note in your comment, in addition to the Arab journalist, one journalist was Jewish and one was Hispanic. Your headline does not read “3 Journalists Arrested in a violation of free speech” or “Hispanic journalist arrested” or “Jewish journalist arrested” but rather “Arab American journalist…” therefore you were the first to imply the Arab or non-Arab American distinction.
An unlawful arrest is an unlawful arrest, regardless of the arrested’s race, religion, ethnicity, ect.
Please do not make this into something that it is not, otherwise you are no better than the “rightwing fanatics who mix everything to make their point.”
Thanks Jessica but my main focus is protecting the rights of Arab American journalists, whether that is or isn’t your priority. Arab American journalists are discriminated against every day and NO ONE SPEAKS OUT IN THEIR DEFENSE — your argument that this is about journalists is great, except that’s not really true. When an Arab American is fired from a job, excluded from coverage or arrested, very few mainstream journalism groups speak out in that journalists defense.
So, when an Arab American journalists IS arrested, we challenge it and we oppose it. The fact that he was arrested with two other journalists is important too, but his race IS an issue for us and fits into the larger picture which apparently does not concern you. Tell me when you have spoken out against the arrest, the firing, or retribution against another Arab American journalist?
This is an ARAB AMERICAN/MIDDLE EAST WEB SITE and we focus on the Middle East angle on everything as it applies to larger principles.
As for PatB. You are full of crap. I really doubt that you served in RVN. I served during the Vietnam War and was ready to be shipped. Unlike Bush, I had no control over where I was sent and your pathetic cheap shots are typical of alleged soldiers like you. The fact is I was ready to serve and willing to serve and because of the Military did not go overseas and served stateside. Yet still, unless you are over 50, you can still join the Army and fight in Iraq. I hear they need volunteers.
By the way, don’t bother complainign about me criticizing you personally. The fact is you made this and every posting personal because you CAN NEVER address any issue with attacking the writer as you did in your first post above going after me. I’m not thinned skinned but I don’t take crap from people like you either. Sempre Fi M-F.
Ray Hanania
By the way Jessica, our statement protested ALL THREE JOURNALISTS. Again, NAAJA is the National Arab American Journalists Association. (I’m on the Media Watch committee of the Asian American Journalists Association and we focus on unprofessional conduct by the mainstream media against Asians and also Muslims and Arabs.
The Native AMerican Journalists Association does the same for Native Americans, the Black Journalists do the same for Black Journalists and so does the Hispanic Journalists association.
So why are Arab Americans different?
Ray
Yes, your statement protested the arrest of all 3 journalists. But your title implied that the arrest was because the one journalist was Arab – which fuels the idea that Americans are anti-Arab. While that certainly is true in some circumstances, this example does not fit that category.
Sure, other associations do this too – everyone spins an event to make their own point. The spin is not what bothers me, as most people see right through that. What bothers me is your hypocrisy in that you accuse the right of unfairly spinning the event, where as you obviously did the same.
and, Ray, as a human rights activist, I have spoken out about the arrests of many journalists (Arab included). My point remains that the fact that the journalist who is a subject of your post is Arab had NOTHING to do with why he was arrested, and yet you made it seem that way. Defending this point by saying the forum of MEY allows it, and that other associations do it to, does not make it right.
Ray,
I am not going to give you a hard time for your service. I’m glad you served but you implied RVN service not Vietnam era war service.
Your intent was to bully one you thought had no service and therefore no right to speak to one that had. I do not stoop to that level.
Regardless Ray I am 58, the last two years of my service in Astan were as an advisor to the Afghan 205th Corps in Kandahar (prior 18zf1w8) but initially was an 11B2P assigned to the 25th ID in III Corps and then a MACV advisor in II Corps (TM 21 in Pleiku, the old french compound).
Your handling of my comments, both the racist attack (something you say you are against as a champion of rights) and the chest puffing episode are indicitive of your journalistic style.
In simpler terms I’d seriously have to vet whatever you write.
Ray,
Reread my first comment, it says nothing personal about you, I just posted my thoughts about the issue.
Then reread your first comment to me….I’m a hater and racist.
I believe you made this personal Ray.
I keep it in context though, I think I have your number now.
De Oppresso Liber my friend….that is what MF meant isn’t it?
Ray,
I reread my first comment (second part) and I did make it personal, so that’s partially valid, but I was commenting on your perspective and your headlines reflect that…I didn’t think it insulting though, just an observation.
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