Intercept reporter Ryan Devereaux was arrested this morning while on the ground covering the protests in Ferguson, Mo. According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch photographer David Carson, who witnessed the apprehension, Ryan and a German reporter he was with were both taken into custody by members of a police tactical team. They were handcuffed and placed in a wagon, and Carson was told they were being taken to St. Louis County jail.
We haven’t been able to reach officials with the St. Louis County Police Department or Ferguson Police Department to find out if Ryan has been charged, or under what pretext he was detained. But needless to say, it’s an outrage that he was stopped and handcuffed by police in the course of lawfully doing his job on the streets of Ferguson. We are trying to contact Ryan now.
At a press conference early this morning, Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson told reporters in Ferguson that 31 arrests had been made, including members of the “criminal element” from “as far away as New York.” When asked by a reporter if any of those 31 had been reporters, he immediately–and falsely–replied, “these people were not journalists that were arrested.”
But he quickly admitted that in the “chaos” of the protests, officers may not be able to distinguish between reporters and other bystanders: “So yes, we may take some of you into custody. But when we do take you into custody, and we have found out that you are a journalist, we have taken the proper action.” This begs the question as to why police would be compelled to arrest an otherwise law-abiding non-journalist simply for attending a protest. But we insist that the St. Louis County Police Department, Ferguson Police Department, and Missouri Highway Patrol take the proper action and release Ryan Devereaux immediately.
Update: Johnson and his colleagues did not take the “proper action.” Ryan spent the night in St. Louis County Jail, where he remains this morning. According to officials there, he is due to be released without charge—the initial pretext for his detention was “failure to disperse”—within the hour. Ryan and Lukas Hermsmeier, a reporter for the German newspaper De Bild, were both apprehended last night—and shot with beanbags and rubber bullets—while attempting to return to their car after a night of reporting. When they were shot at, they had their hands raised in the air and were shouting, “Press! Press! Press!”
Second Update: Ryan has been released. And a correction: While the situation is still not entirely clear, I believe now that both Ryan and Hermsmeier were hit with beanbags, but not rubber bullets as reported above. Also, I’ve updated the post and the headline to reflect the fact that Ryan was in fact arrested and jailed overnight, not merely detained.
Third Update: Ryan’s post recounting his first night in Ferguson is here. As you can see, he now believes he was hit with a rubber bullet, and not a beanbag. I’ve updated the headline of this post to reflect that.
The traitors pretending to be cops in Ferguson need arrested, put on trial and executed, every single one of the feral monkeys, not one worth saving, then the entire city council that hired the psychopaths.
The force that went berserk in Ferguson should not ever be called the police. We may all eventually agree on a name for what has happened here, or what was caused to happen by a marauding force of angry, punishing, individuals, for they we surly not organized, but police is not anywhere near what they did. I have witnessed 11 days of police terrorism of a community that was initially upset by the horror of an absolutely criminal murder of one of their own children by the same people who then invaded the community as if the locals were the ones who did the murder of Michael Brown. This goes so far beyond shameful that it has become significantly heinous!. And what we are seeing now is that the further up the ladder of accountability you go, the more corruption and denial of culpability their is. The corruption is endemic to the foul system they have set up!
Clearly states Ferguson is out of control, it seems as if the cops are the hoodlums!
This reporter was arrested for nothing, but Darren Wilson (cop who murdered Michael Brown) remains free! #arrestDarrenWilson
Guess they were mad because they were being exposed for they thugs they are.
Nobody was “murdered”. Brown–who robbed a convenience store through physical intimidation hours earlier–tried to steal a police-issue handgun from Wilson, firing one shot in the process. He wasn’t able to wrestle the gun out of Wilson’s hands, so Brown ran away, then charged at Wilson.
If someone who just tried to steal my gun was running right at me, I’d shoot him too.
The psychopathic feral cop needs to be on trial for treason and executed just like the PIG he is.
Remember when Feinstein wanted to officially declassify “bloggers” and “internet reporters” as journalists? She was basically saying “YOUR 1st Amendment doesn’t count. Only if you are with the controlled media are you a ‘journalist'”…
This is the kind of thing we were up in arms about. But no. We are just crazy tin-hat conspiracy theorists, huh?
If two of them were walking together to the same car, clearly they were non-dispersing from each other.
“…under what pretext he was detained.” The use of the word “pretext” indicates this is not neutral journalism. That word indicates the writer believes the police made up a reason for the arrest. But, in fact, later reports indicate the police did have a reason — those arrested did not obey lawful police orders to move away.
Given a Constitutional right to freedom of assembly, where do you get the interpretation that the order to disperse was a lawful one?
How did you ever arrive at this site and conclude you would get neutral journalism? This site has a point of view, they don’t hide it. It’s out there. I’m sure there are plenty of other organizations that share your point of view, you might want to search out their news sites. Also, right at the top of the page, this article is clearly marked as being in the “Voices” section. It is removed from the “News” section. You’re probably a troll, but if you are sincere you might want to invest a few more seconds looking at a site before spouting a comment.
The police *say* they refused. However, the Ferguson police haven’t exactly been known for their pursuit of truth and neutrality lately. It’s becoming law enforcement SOP in this country to not give a damn if you’re a reporter or not in these situations, hold journalists for a night or two, then go “Oh, whoops. Our bad…”. See the last two or three Dem and GOP Party conventions, NATO protests, etc, etc. If you can’t come up with reports of this exact same thing happening over and over again in seconds, its because you refuse to use your fingers.
Cook wrote, ” what pretext was he being detained,” not arrested. The article goes on to explain that if they had followed the very “proper action” that Johnson had stated to reporters that the police would and should follow, Ryan would not have been detained. So using the excuse of “failure to disperse” was indeed a pretext for detaining Ryan and his college.
The pigs couldn’t lie straight in bed, they are pathological psychopaths, no a human among them.
To be considered human one must have humanity….. Nothing but feral monkeys on the Ferguson force.
While the press covering Fergusen and NSA can’t get any respect, Cameron rushes home from vacation because ISIL kills an American journalist while wielding a British accent?
I’m sorry, but this sounds serious, as in this is the excuse Cameron and Obama need to bleed us a little more. Of course, it is also a horrible murder, but they can live with that.
Quick correction: It’s ‘Die Bild’, not ‘de Bild’.
I will give a shit about the First Ammendment rights
of journalists being violated, when journalists give
a shit about protestors rights being violated.
Really, “First Ammendment protest zones.”
Really, peaceful protestors cannot be “static.”
They must keep moving or they will be arrested.
Really?
Now where is that stipulation in the First Ammendment.
Who the fuck do you “journalists” think you are?
With your playing into the bullshit game of thinking you are speical
and above other citizens of our Constitutional Republic.
Especially last night, with that criminal shitbag police crap about
“journalists must seperate themselves from protestors.”
Fuck you “journalists.”
Please excuse the double post in this and the Cook article on this subject. I think this is important for folks to see.
Dennis Kucinich, who was once mayor of Cleveland, a city with its own racial issues, has something to say about all of this:
Militarized Police and the Threat to Democracy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis-j-kucinich/police-militarization_b_5687598.html
Low down crying shame we don’t have a voice like his in Congress now!
*Kucinich … way back to the future in 2007:
(House of Representatives – November 09, 2007)
[Page: H13415] GPO’s PDF
—
(Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak directly to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. The defense authorization conference report today has a section which I think Members need to look at. All of us who are familiar with the 1878, I think it is, Posse Comitatus Act know there was a reason to exclude the military from being involved in civil law enforcement.
I want you to listen to a section that is in this bill today, section 1615. I am going to read part of it. Section 1615 “Requires the Secretary to: (1) determine the military-unique capabilities needed to be provided by DOD to support civil authorities in an incident of national significance.”
I want people to think about this. We have an administration that has repeatedly violated the Constitution, that has taken this country into war based on lies, that is putting us in hock to China to pay for the wars, and that suborns torture and rendition. And now this. We have to be careful, America. We’re losing our democracy. It’s time for us to save it.
Dennis Kucinich wanted to say this, at the 2008 convention: “They [the GOP] say they want four more years. In a just world they’d get 10 to 20.” Good line, but cut at the insistence of the Obama campaign.
@ coram nobis:
Special link for you posted on Devereaux testament as well:
{ATP 3-39.33 CIVIL DISTURBANCES
132 pages
April 2014}
https://publicintelligence.net/usarmy-civil-disturbances/
Among other things, it talks about lethal responses in crowd control: snipers targeting “leaders or troublemakers”, also aerial and indirect firing. “Indirect” presumably means field artillery or mortars. (Fig. 3-4).
Also note the reference to 10 USC 331 et seq (known elsewhere as the Insurrection Act).
The reason for Posse Comitatus was to get the federal troops out of the rebel states so they could impose their reign of terror on their black citizens (formerly slaves). We tried to improve things with the Voting Rights Act, but the reactionary clique in the Supreme Court has essentially neutralized that now. I’m not sure why they want to do that, but the effect is similar. It wasn’t about the equipment. You don’t really need all the heavy high-tech stuff. Shotguns and pick-axe handles are really enough.
Guy near Ferguson who was making and giving away tee-shirts (“Hand Up! Don’t shoot!”) was raided by SWAT team, then let go, allowed his shirts back, only because cops couldn’t find a reason (like outstanding warrant) to arrest him.
Land of the free: http://www.dailykos.com/comments/1323020/54270669#
Clear violation of original SWAT protocol, i.e., NOT using them in warrant-less raids against non-hostage-takers or imminent threats to the public. Mission creep, to say the least. WTF is wrong with these “law enforcement agencies?
And why the political-fuck won’t anyone in elected office get the balls to stop them – now, before more get needlessly hurt or killed.
“And why the political-fuck won’t anyone in elected office get the balls to stop them – now, before more get needlessly hurt or killed.”
Because everything’s going as planned.
Yes. This ^^^^^^^^^^^!
Oh, Pedinska, you’ll have to translate that for me. I’m certain it doesn’t mean five and half whiskerless cats, as that doesn’t fit the context, not in any which way. :$
seer, I was agreeing with your statement,
Because everything’s going as planned.
Not sure how you got whiskers out of that – I couldn’t figure out how to make “up” arrows, hence the ^ symbols – but they were whiskers of approval. :-)
P, I *knew* it was approval – I just hadn’t ever seen that emoticon before. All is now clarified -> “up” arrows = thumbs up.
I’ll put that in the notebook I keep while trying to learn this new emoticon language. You know it doesn’t slip off the “tongue” easily for an old coot like me who is more often than sometimes %) by it and its various dialects. :(
@ seer:
“Congress Members Who Approve Militarization of U.S. Police Receive 73% More Money from Defense Industry’
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/08/congress-members-approve-militarization-u-s-police-receive-73-money-defense-industry.html
One more relevant link to follow.
Single Army Techiniques Publication:
{ATP 3-39.33 CIVIL DISTURBANCES
132 pages
April 2014}
https://publicintelligence.net/usarmy-civil-disturbances/
BTW DHS probably using this manual as a guideline. All according to plan.
Shit to hit the fan. Disturbing times.
This is why I support and donate to news outlets like Intercept, Free speech , Democracy Now and others. Thankyou Intercept for taking the chances you do and being brave reporters. Love ya!!
It seems the single best way to call attention to civil problem, racial issue or war, is to note that a reporter had been arrested, hurt, jailed, or hit…That unlike all else can not be tolerated and must trump all other reporting.
You may have a point Fred, but I do know that it is reporters that are often the ONLY WAY to “call attention to civil problems, racial issue or war.”
Thank you to the journalists who do put themselves out there on our behalf politically, financially, and at the risk of pain or death – we would not – and cannot continue to be as good a society with out you all.
The First Amendment is supposed to apply to all of us. However, I think the language with regard to the press was placed in there to create a category of folks who would act as the canary in the coal mine (if you will). Folks who are “first among equals” and who have the voice to alert the rest of us, if we choose to pay attention that is.
At least, that’s how I like to think of it. And how it seems to function as well.
An apt analogy, Pedinska.
The public might be willing to believe that some random person was acting illegally just on the police’s word, but is significantly less likely to believe that about a reporter. The reporter had a good reason – even a civic duty! – to be there, so it makes it basically obvious that the government is either trying to suppress information or is arresting people indiscriminately and illegally.
Now there are some issues like legislators wanting to define who counts as a “reporter” that make special rights for the press problematic, but I think the major reason it gets attention is because the public recognizes that it is more likely that the reporter likely wasn’t acting illegally, while the police very well could have been.
Sad news if confirmed: James Foley, Missing American Photojournalist, Reportedly Executed By ISIS In Syria
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/19/james-foley-executed-isis_n_5692695.html
Have no words for it.
I’m sorry to hear about the TI reporter. Apparently he has been so seriously injured he has been unable to file a report and I guess he was the only TI reporter assigned to the story as no articles have appeared about Ferguson in TI.
You guys are running out of time to start being relevant, especially sense the Snowden revelations are over now.
Sadly, your comment is not relevant in the slightest and to the world it is as if it never happened. I feel for you.
The relevency of comments like this is eroding…thankfully. Read, research, and come back more informed.
Sillyputty, you beat me to it : )
There’s no excuse for it John Kelly. Or reason for it, probably. I’ve been having posts show up minutes or more after submittal, and time-stamped when then appear, not when submitted.. :)
Fail. See the latest. Read. Educate yourself. Stop reading the Smear Merchant’s Handbook, you are not ever going to be very good at it. Try The Blaze, or Hannity, Rush, Breitbart etc for lessons, then come back and try again. You can do much better.
Report filed before your comment; other articles in TI on Ferguson exist; would be “since” not “sense.”
Strangely enough, he published his article 6 minutes before your complaint. You need to keep your criticism relevant, lest you look like a dumb troll.
A Night in Ferguson: Rubber Bullets, Tear Gas, and a Jail Cell
By Ryan Devereaux
19 Aug 2014, 4:59 PM EDT
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/08/19/ferguson/
Lauren wants you to know that the beginning of that song is very much what the echoes I her ears sounded like during the brain take over that lasted for 8 weeks in the ear lobes. Lauren says don’t get those in your ears just lay down on the floor and scream take me in. Lauren didn’t know that she was trained for ten years to resist take over so she tried to ignore it thinking that whoever the fuck was in her brain would get kicked out by the constitiotion. Lauren didn’t know that she was labeled a terrorist by the unions to fuck her up the ass.
As people, particularly the youth, begin to starkly realize that in fact it is our own government that Real Enemy; And as people begin to awaken to a truth that is altogether the polar opposite of what is taught to them in public schools; that all tax dollars go to continual Wars of Aggression; Shocking Crimes Against Humanity; Thorough Aggrandizement of Enormous sums of Wealth by a tiny few; And that the Trillionaire-Titans of Industry, including the hugely profitable industry of WAR, Continual War, War for seventy years, as they pull the strings of the marionettes in this illegitimate government; And as people begin to comprehend that ALL politicians are paid off, bought off, or scared off by the cretinous thugs in the corporate and banking cartels, who are also, in fact, responsible for steering us all into financial ruination; When people realize that America itself is the Terrorist, the number one Criminal on this earth;
Then we shall all wait patiently for a Mighty Day of Reckoning.
Please consider the following statement to remind us all that there IS indeed Greatness in telling the Truth; And there IS indeed Greatness in teaching others the true meaning of Civic Duty and Moral Obligation:
“I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.”
“One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws.
Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”
“Poverty is the worst form of violence.”
“Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together.”
“I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.”
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
A second death, now. Also, more press complaints about the 11 reporters arrested. So far.
Live feed.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2014/aug/19/ferguson-crisis-31-arrested-michael-brown-protests
This might be of interest to you coram nobis:
“U.S. Army Techniques Publication 3-39.33: Civil Disturbances”
“April 2014″
https://publicintelligence.net/usarmy-civil-disturbances/
I suspect if some of Ferguson’s less pale protestors tried employing the tactics used by Cliven Bundy’s heavily armed teabaggers in Nevada, a piece of St. Louis county would resemble Gaza rubble.
I feel If I’m going to here
The rest was less important and going to be deleted, anyway.
I was wondering what would have happened had the well-armed militia that defended Bundy had shown up in Ferguson. I’m disappointed that they haven’t. The people of Ferguson sorely *need* the effective defense they freely gave Bundy, because they’re up against a force so much more powerful than they, it renders them trapped like the Palestinians of Gaza are trapped.
Well we tortured a few folks, our military Robocop police murder a few folks and yes, we sure do spy on maybe a few million folks.. So let all us good folks just sing a good old folk song together:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdzZcSgh4RU
For those that are interested in the true underlying cause of Martial Law in the United States of America here is a comprehensive link:
“Peak Inequality: The .01% And The Impoverishment Of Society”
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/08/peak-inequality-01-impoverishment-society.html
This is a long piece, as it is author’s attempt to insert information into society at a critical point in time. The book is scheduled for release in September 2014.
Too bad it is written in such a horrible way. Read on, and one sees that his definition of corruption is economic inequality. Not very useful. Does he really think greed is any different from it ever was? Nonsense. Yes, the problem is that economic inequality is huge and rising because those with the most money have the government as well. This has always been mostly true, it is just more so now in the US, more than it was in that unusual period preceding and following WWII..
@ Mike Sulzer:
I guess that you missed some of the more prominent links to include this one which is quite specific.
{ “Despite taking pains to err on the conservative side, the results are astonishing. First, this hidden offshore sector is large enough to make a significant difference to all of our conventional measures of inequality. Since most of missing financial wealth belongs to a tiny elite, the impact is staggering.
For most countries, global financial inequality is not only much greater than we suspected, but it has been growing much faster…. it turns out that this offshore sector – which specializes in tax dodging is basically designed and operated, not by shady no name banks located in sultry islands, but by the world’s largest private banks, law firms, and accounting firms, headquartered in First World capitals like London, New York, and Geneva.}
Our detailed analysis of these banks shows that the leaders are the very same ones that have figured so prominently in government bailouts and other recent financial chicanery…. it is scandalous that official institutions like the Bank for International Settlements, the IMF, the World Bank, the OECD, and the G20, as well as leading central banks, have devoted so little research to this sector. This scandal is made worse by the fact that they already have much of the data needed to estimate this sector more carefully.”
The bottom line, there is overwhelming evidence proving that the Federal Reserve, global central banking system and the US government are a front for the ultra-rich. In short, we know that the biggest players on Wall Street engaged in trillions of dollars in fraudulent activity and the Federal Reserve created trillions of dollars out of thin air, mostly in secrecy, to cover it up and continue the looting of wealth. Instead of holding people accountable, the US government bailed them out.”}
or:
{“The .01% “economic royalists” hand down their dictates through centrally planned economic policy and government legislation designed to keep the population economically insecure, subservient and enslaved in debt. Through their ownership of mainstream media companies they keep the masses in ignorance, wholly unaware of the paradigm shift in technology and wealth creation that should have provided economic security and made life much more enjoyable for everyone well over a generation ago.
We now live in a neo-feudal society. The evidence is undeniable. The indentured servant is now the indebted wage slave. A recent scientific study revealed that the United States government is subservient to the whim of the .01%. Political office is now merely a stepping-stone and initiation process that politicians go through to be accepted into the aristocracy.”}
Perhaps even that is not specific enough for you as it doesn’t go back along the historical time line far enough. This one goes back to the 16th Century :
“The International Banking Cartel (I)”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OU9AGUv4lk
Yes, your quotes do an excellent job of showing what I was saying. Take one of the most serious current problems and turn it into sensationalist garbage, making it so much easier to deny.
@ Mike Sulzer –
The cited videos/links aside, the argument that “his definition of corruption is economic inequality” is, as you put it, ”Not very useful.”
Why? Because that is not actually what was said. This is what he said:
“Corruption, greed and economic inequality have reached a peak tipping point.”
So that part of the argument is incorrect…and, “not very useful.”
Secondly, although your argument recognizes that economic inequality is “one of the most serious current problems” it, too, is also: “not very useful,” in that it names the problem correctly, but offers no suggestions as to what can be done about it, if anything.
In other words, the “not very useful” claims fall much more squarely on 1st: getting one of the arguments main points completely wrong (economic inequality=greed alone), and 2nd: in allowing that “sensationalist garbage” would make the claims easier to deny, all without providing any proof or counter-claims to back up these assertions.
Perhaps this link would be more “useful” and offer less “”sensationalist garbage” or be “better written” in order for you to make at least a cogent counter-claim against what is being said.
But maybe not; that’s what opinions are all about. Irrespective, I’d like to hear back with some “useful” critique.
Oh really?
Yes…it is a serious problem. Perhaps you have written a book or an article that explains it better than this author. Or maybe, you just have a problem with anyone actually exposing the problem at all. Whatever your reason for taking a belligerent stance to the posting of this information through your condemnation both of the author’s writing style and content and furthering that with accusations of “sensationalist garbage”; you identify yourself to be one of those self-rightous snobs with a cranial-rectal insertion that is part of the problem and not the cure.
Last comment to Mike Sulzer.
My thanks to you Sillyputty.
Re: Lyra1
Having arrived late to your exchange with Mike Sulzer and Sillyputty, and there not being a “reply” button available on your closing comment,……
“Lyra1 20 Aug 2014 at 12:23 am
Last comment to Mike Sulzer.
My thanks to you Sillyputty.”
….I would like to thank you for your thoughtful and knowledgeable contributions. The dissembling and sophomoric parsing of the willfully uninformed is but a tiny pesty noise, self-marginalized and properly ignored.
“Work is love made visible.” KG
As Usual,
EA
The problem is easily solved by adopting a good French Holiday. Bastille day.
When the psychopathic rich parasites lose their heads…. all go to bed warm and well fed.
“failure to disperse”. This for all those who still think US has not become a police state
the police told them to disperse like 200 times
You’re in the middle of a riot. Expect it to be risky.
Funny that out of all those 78 ppl arrested, only 2 cud be said to have committed a felony by having a weapon. All the rest were released. So where’s the “criminal element”? An element so dangerous that a media blackout was imposed and tear gas released to cover govt intel actions. This was a military operation assisted by govt intelligence services and that’s what is frightening.
they weren’t arrested by police they were removed from the scene to preclude any possibility of telling the story the police don’t want reported
Meanwhile, on the positive side, it looks like our crusade to bring American-style democracy to Afghanistan has succeeded.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/world/asia/afghan-officials-interrogate-matthew-rosenberg.html
Apt pupils, they.
now, if we could only het american style democracy reintroduced into America
““We have notified the administration of the newspaper in writing several times about the publication of reports that encourage disunity,” said Ms. Raz. “But they have repeatedly published such reports, and therefore we must take serious action in accordance with appropriate Afghan law.”
Says Afghan official. The least that America, Britain, Afghanistan, et .al can do is create this “appropriate law” that attempts to silence already legal actons like reporting and dissent and codify it properly and openly – you know, something like the “Cus’ I Said So” amendment.
“We are deeply disturbed by the actions of the Afghan attorney general and by this travel ban that has allegedly been put into place, and urge the Afghan government to respect fundamental freedoms of expression and expression of the press, and we’ll continue to monitor it,” Marie Harf, a deputy State Department spokeswoman, told reporters in Washington.”
They (US Government) have no shame whatsoever. Maybe Greenwald should ask for David’s opinion of the support he received from our government while locked up in London. James Rosen might also be a good source of information regarding how our government respects the 1st Amendment.
James Risen is unimpressed.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/17/james-risen-obama-greatest-enemy-press-freedom-generation
Militarized police occupy USA
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/08/18/mil-pol/
“Along with brutalizing reporters and falsely arresting them, Ferguson police threw canisters of tear gas at an al-Jazeera America film crew. These deranged storm-trooper cops apparently saw the al-Jazeera logo and imagined themselves back in some Middle Eastern war zone.”
“At least they aren’t sending out snipers and air strikes to murder reporters like the Zionists do in Gaza… at least not yet.
But they are moving in that direction. All over America, police departments are buying military helicopters, tanks and armored vehicles, automatic rifles, and even drones – and preparing to use them against the American population.”
Responding to request for some locals to follow on Twitter regarding Ferguson:
@sarahkendzior
@STLAbuBadu
@riotprrrl
@Awkward_Duck
@nettaaaaaaaa
Thank you!
I was not aware Sarah was local. I have seen a lot of her stuff retweeted by others.
Thanks again.
4. More journalists detained.
Despite the outcry following the arrests of journalists Ryan Reilly and Wesley Lowery, Ferguson police continue to hassle, threaten and detain reporters. On Sunday, three journalists were handcuffed and briefly held by Captain Ron Johnson, Talking Points Memo reports.
The Financial Times’ Neil Munshi tweeted that he was cuffed and searched, later specifying that while he and the other two reporters were handcuffed, they were not arrested.
Munshi tweeted, “It was tense, he seemed to realize it wasn’t a great look, and had them release us after cuffing and searching – another cop was apologetic.”
Sports Illustrated’s Robert Klemko, also held by police, tweeted, “Entire goal was to document police action towards protesters. Johnson wouldn’t let us enter a visibly secured area.”
The Washington Post reports that faced with hazards normally associated with war zones, journalists have taken to wearing bullet proof vests and gas masks.
Mustafa Hussein was confronted by an officer while filming police. The cop allegedly pointed his gun and yelled, “Get down, get the fuck out of here and get that light off, or you’re getting shot with this.”
Over the weekend, Chris Hayes of MSNBC and the Huffington Post’s Amanda Terkel also reported that police threatened to mace them. Hayes tweeted, “Riot cop to me just a few minutes ago: “Get back! Or next time you’re gonna be the one maced.”
http://www.alternet.org/ferguson?page=0%2C1
I stayed about 4 miles from ferguson around 8 years ago. a bike cop stole our cat. I called in anonymously to the station trying to get someone to go to his house and bring our cat back.
my girl called me outside one day because the cop was screaming at our cat, viciously trying to drag it out from under a car. we couldn’t find the cat and a few days later that same cop came up to us and said “didn’t you have a cat? I think it got run over by a car”. We both said he acted like a dead giveaway that he kidnapped it… I never seen anything like how he was screaming at it, it was so full of hatred, I don’t understand. I wonder if he still has it or if he killed it.
I had a cat named Lucy. She was very smart. She was chased by the popo, the federal marshals, the unions, the FBI, the NSA, and the CIA. They eventually tried to take her down and feed her to the media. But Lucy wouldn’t go. She said she was Madonna. Die Another Day… And Lucy did die. Her whole body was eaten by super IBM computers so she could be nothing more than data in a super machine. Now all the people that wanted her can eat her shit every day. Peace out fuck face.
I’m not sure I understand this person’s response; I have no idea what your talking about, though this is not a laughing matter that governance allows retarded individuals to walk around torturing and murdering.
It’s difficult to state the redundancy of the situation without seeming politically incorrect but It’s really all they’ve ever done.
hello –
Being naturally fond of our feline friends, I’m sorry to hear about that cop so callously making off with your pet. I hope s/he has somehow survived and is ok – hope, anyway.
– from me and my kitty
Thanks. and I also had a dog that committed suicide in this “country”; we were driving back from the vet after the retards “fixed” him, I wouldn’t talk to it or pet it anymore in the car, it could tell what happened. The driver pulled over and let the dog out in a field by the road, the dog watched the cars driving on the road carefully, and it took off, ran right along side the car as fast as it could , ran straight in front of the front tire and stopped so hard in front of the tire It looked like it broke it’s front arms the second before the car ran it over.
I’ve seen deer hang themselves a few times in barbed wire fences where there was no doubt it was intentional. Culprits always the same source.
In addition to those journalists who have been arrested and/or detained (h/t Pedinska) here is reporting on other journalists who have been threatened by police:
http://gawker.com/ferguson-police-threaten-to-shoot-reporter-and-mace-chr-1623125660
Cops in Ferguson Threaten to Shoot Reporter, Mace Chris Hayes
More on the police/press situation in Ferguson, with plenty of hyperlinks.
http://balkin.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-assault-on-journalism-in-ferguson.html
Just a reminder that beanbags sound cute, but can kill. Veteran and protester Scott Olsen is believed to have been shot in the head with a beanbag in Occupy Oakland, which crushed his skull in and caused serious brain injury. (Last I heard, he was doing ok, and as far as I know, he is not the photographer Scott Olson arrested in Ferguson.)
What comes around goes around.
Egypt urges U.S. to use restraint in Missouri :
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.611329
Iran Lawmakers Urge Ministry To Condemn ‘Rights Abuses’ In Riot-Hit U.S. Town :
http://www.rferl.org/content/iran-ferguson-riots-reaction/26539339.html
Palestinians express “solidarity with the people of Ferguson” in Mike Brown statement:
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/rana-baker/palestinians-express-solidarity-people-ferguson-mike-brown-statement
The name of the German Newspaper is “Bild Zeitung”, basically “Picture Newspaper”. It is sometimes called “Bild”, but is never called De Bild. Since Bild is neutral, it would normally be preceded by the article “das”, not the feminine “die”.
Just a minor correction. Carry on with the excellent work!
“De” is the masculine definite article in Low German (Plattdeutsch). So I wonder if a speaker of Low German might have said “De Bild”. The Bild Zeitung after all was historically a Hamburg paper (although it is now based in Berlin). Even though Bild, at least in standard High German, is neuter, so that one would have thought it would take the neuter article in Low German, so, “dat Bild”.
The Intercept has a lot of company in the St Louis County Jail:
http://www.vox.com/2014/8/18/6043247/ferguson-police-media-harassment
^ and don’t look for things to get any better would be my advice
And for those who prefer the satire:
http://ronaldthomaswest.com/2013/05/03/a-conversation-with-jon-stewart/
^ My ‘free speech zone’
Now I understand why the CIA spent over five years trying to kill you. They couldn’t get anything done while ROTFIGSL.
100 reads of the satire later, I have to hand it to you for being the one with guts enough to comment .. and about the rolling on the floor laughing thing, well, there’s a video mock-up of Netanyahu at the conclusion of this one:
http://ronaldthomaswest.com/2013/05/04/death-of-a-mossad-agent/
^ Maybe a bit off topic but I’ll justify it under the general heading of ‘the idiocy of fascism’
This is whats wrong in journalism today. Its not a free pass to cause anarchy. Journalist who would use camera to incite riots and looting are not all so innocent. Who holds them accountable? If someone dies because of a person sees a camera and commits a horrendous crime? No one. Sad day in media!
How are we going to calm things down? Shouldn’t we arrest the killer?
Hell no. He works for us. This is what we’ll do. We’ll bring in hundreds more heavily armed adrenalin-fueled kids and have them tell residents they can’t stand on their own sidewalks. We’ll have them point their guns at people like they’ve never heard of firearms safety and then we’ll send in snatch squads to grab peaceful protestors at random so our arrest numbers look good on CNN..
But what about the journalists?
We’ll order them to stand over there and then we’ll order them back over here and then we’ll arrest a few of them too. (snigger)
“like they’ve never heard of firearms safety”
The cops pointing their rifles so they can use the attached tactical lights is just sickening. So wrong.
If there is a need to help cover court costs, could you please let us know? I’d love to contribute to those with the courage to be on the ground there. Far too much of our modern journalism is done behind a desk. On the ground reporting is becoming a lost art, and as we see here, it always carries risks. Thanks so much for letting us know this, and keeping us up to date.
Minion, the word on the street is that the enterprise he works for is backed by a potential quarter of a billion dollars.
Food for thought, what if everyone who lives there including police, all others who believe this is a wrong
deal for all the many people that live there, and do not believe acts to clear up a wrong deed, is in mob violence?. Where is leadership. When needed. ( on vacation of course)_
The point is not who is or who is not a legitimate journalist.
The reason journalists are being arrested is that nearly all of the arrests are false arrests of innocent people.
Gotta have lots of arrests for the lamestream media to report.
Some random thoughts and observations:
The Ferguson stand-off is about both race AND class (ethnic and economic inequality) plus many other factors such as fear, apathy, and a long, long history of tribalism and mutual suspicion.
Ferguson, a town of 21,000 that is nearly 70 percent black, is patrolled by a nearly all-white police force.
Wearing (surplus) military riot gear is a lot like putting on gang colors. Like most uniforms, it is dehumanizing to both sides.
Gas masks serve nicely to anonymize the oppressors who are “just doing their jobs.”
Adrenaline takes milliseconds to enter the bloodstream and a good 45 minutes to exit.
The militarization of America’s police force ultimately serves the 1% and the corporations they run.
It is not a “proportionate response” to shoot an unarmed person over a few dollars worth of merchandise or fire teargas at people attending a candlelight vigil or conduct a “catch-and-release” tactic to clear a public area of journalists posing no physical threat.
“The things that will destroy us are: politics without principle; pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character; business without morality; science without humanity; and worship without sacrifice.” -Mohandas K. Gandhi
What we need now is another Dr. Martin Luther King to lead a march on Washington…
“We haven’t been able to reach officials with the St. Louis County Police Department or Ferguson Police Department to find out if Ryan has been charged, or under what pretext he was detained. But needless to say, it’s an outrage that he was stopped and handcuffed by police in the course of lawfully doing his job on the streets of Ferguson. We are trying to contact Ryan now.”
I am completely against harassing the press trying to do a job in a difficult scene, but Mr. Cook, are you jumping the gun a little here with the above statement when you even admit you don’t know the pretext for the arrest or if your reporter actually did something wrong? I think if you want to get arrested in Ferguson as a reporter, it’s not that hard to do, considering the level of stress everyone is under there.
Maybe you should’ve just presented this in a plain way until you get all of the facts. But to automatically assume he was wrongly arrested…seems like grandstanding to me.
“We militarised some local folks.”
Yeah….like this:
See: “How Foreign Militaries Share Responsibility for What’s Happening in Ferguson”
http://www.activistpost.com/2014/08/how-foreign-militaries-share.html
Thanks for the link, Lyra1.
@ anonymous:
No. Thank you. Please help me with this one because it is absolutely critical that this film gets plastered all over the internet right now:
“Innocents Betrayed – The History of Gun Control – FULL LENGTH”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUmKT43j4Tc
HUMANE CONSCIOUSNESS VS BRUTALITY UNCONSCIOUSNESS
The majority of humanity, real human beings {hint}, are evolving and becoming more humane, compassionate, understanding, connected, friendly and believing that we are actually “A Human Family”.
The 1% Elite Psychopaths ( composed of elites from: government, education, religion, media, the arts, science, military and of course the financial elites) are dead set against any form of spiritual evolution or the growth of humane consciousness. Because they would loose their death grip on us as their slave$.
As long as we buy into their illusion of authority, power and believe that the “reality” they present is the only alternative, we are stuck. They want us to believe what they say is the truth, the fact, the real, and THE only option WE have in this life.
The 1% Elite Psychopaths are driven by their brains, like a computer, and they are heartless in their actions, just like a lifeless computer.
Real human beings are heart centered and use their brain as a tool in our quest for happiness, health, understanding, and compassion.
The 1% Elite Psychopaths would have you believe that the brain is the central human organ and that reason, logic and cold calculations are the traits of all elites. A compassionate and loving heart centered person is considered a weakling, a fool, a pawn, someone to manipulate, and only as good as cattle to be raised, herded and slaughtered for their benefit.
But – what these cold calculating machines, who say they are human, don’t have is an evolving human soul and they are stuck in the limitations of their brain controlled ego world. They are stagnate, like a pool of water with no outlet.
When we say HELL NO to these cold calculating machines and their illusionary reality they are weakened in their control over us. When we say HELL NO to their brutality we stand for what is humane in all human beings. When we say HELL NO to them as ultimate authorities we are releasing ourselves from their chains of psychological slavery. When we say HELL NO to their attempts to herd us by the use of fear, hate, insecurity, chaos, confusion, manipulation, lies and deception, like cattle, they lose their control over our destiny.
DON’T YOU SEE THE CIRCUS LIFE THEY HAVE CREATED FOR US?
LIKE CATTLE WE ARE ENTERTAINED, MANIPULATED AND CONTROLLED SO THEY CAN USE US, HARVEST US AND ASSIGN A MONETARY VALUE TO EACH PERSON THEY CONTROL.
FOR THEM IT IS A BIG GAME AND FOR US IT IS SLAVERY.
REALIZE YOUR BEAUTIFUL HUMAN HEART AS YOUR CENTER AND BECOME THE REAL HUMANE BEING YOUR ARE DESTINED TO BECOME.
Amen brother. Humanity’s disconnect from spirit is killing us. We need to flood the NYSE and congress/senate with weaponized DMT or something. A mass awakening is required.
After all of the comments i have an idea. Lets send the police officers home. Lets let the Blacks who are rioting burn down the business district. Lets let them burn the whole town down and just maybe shot 4 or 5 officers.
Is that what all of you want because it can happen or maybe we sent air tickets to all the ISIS guys and have them drop by and take care of our problems
During this type of police/rioters action the PRESS where very large ID like PRESS on their front and back. Sorry if they are detained but reading all the comments I think the police arrested the wrong people
Good ruck
Blackwater, or whatever, is in Ukraine could they also be in Ferguson?
Mr. Cook: Note the court order embedded in this story, from yesterday.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/18/ferguson-police-arrest-photographer-scott-olsen
Shouldn’t a motion for contempt come into this at some point? Doesn’t make up for this outrage, but it might make a dent.
One would think so coram nobis.
I guarantee that the word “obstruction” will prominently appear in every arrest report that relates to members of the press.
Worth a try. According to the update, the pretext with Ryan was “failure to disperse.” A personal-injury claim is also worthwhile, but it’s still worth going to the Eastern District Court and waving (not waiving) the order.
Thank you for this article Mr. Cook.
I am glad that Mr. Devereaux and Mr. Hermsmeier, have been released.
The US Martial Law State has been in the making for some time and many alternative media websites have been actively reporting on it for years. Unfortunately those sites have been labeled by the MSM and establishment sites and establishment snobs as not credible. That story content has generally been called “conspiracy theory” and a host of other mocking and derisive terms. People who have posted comments like this one are given similar labels.
This isn’t the merry old “land of OZ” it is political reality, not just in the United States of America but in many nation states all over the world. In short, the root of the problem is economic and is frequently cited as governments adopting martial law to enact austerity measures. This is not about race it is about class, which consists of targeting the populations that have no means of effective defense and can easily be incarcerated, indefinitely without due process of law, and used as slave labor for the economic masters.
See: “The Terrible Handling of the Economic Crisis Is a Cause of the Ferguson Riots”
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/08/terrible-handling-economic-crisis-cause-ferguson-riots.html
The Federal Reserve Central Bank, the IMF, the World Bank, the Bank of International Settlements, the CFR, and the Commitee of 300 are the most prominent enemies that we should be collectively targeting, fighting, and yes….destroying.
Snobs and idiots please pull your heads out of your asses.
Not a friend of the oligarchy, but to my knowledge there has been no austerity imposed whatsoever on the citizens of Ferguson. Correct me if I’m wrong, but as best I can tell spending went up at all levels of government with jurisdiction (the city of Ferguson is in bad financial shape, but that hasn’t stopped them from annually increasing spending.) there and much of it was for welfare programs, especially at the federal level. The research cited by the article says that austerity leads to unrest, then the article jumps from that to saying the bailouts did it. It has to, because bailouts actually happened and austerity didn’t. Anyway, if you know of any actual austerity in Ferguson, please let me know.
@ Macroman:
You can try to argue against fact if you want but I’m not going to participate.
The austerity is happening everywhere in the world and that is what the article is about. Martial law is but one of many effects, it is not the cause. Use some of the links in the article for further exploration like this one. “Study Shows That Austerity Leads to Violence And Instability”
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/08/austerity-and-runaway-inequality-lead-to-violence-and-instability.html
Oh yeah…. Add to snobs and idiots above, people that get paid to argue in favor of establishment lies, otherwise known as trolls. I’m not impressed.
And just to complete the notion that that further discussion regarding fact is necessary or in any way noteworthy read this:
“The REAL Looting Is Happening On Wall Street … Not In Ferguson, Missouri”
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/08/looting.html
Since even the S&P (Standard & Poor’s) has (just recently) acknowledged & decried the income inequality in the United States and other industrialized (modern) nations, and the fact that this fact just isn’t good for the overall economy (read: the rich) – I thought I’d take a look at what was said over 10 years ago on this subject from a different source:
“Income divergence helps to explain another kind of polarization taking place in the world system, between a zone of peace and a zone of turmoil. On the one hand, the regions of the wealthy pole show a strengthening republican order of economic growth and liberal tolerance (except toward immigrants), with technological innovation able to substitute for depleting natural capital. On the other hand, the regions of the lower- and middle-income poles contain many states whose capacity to govern is stagnant or eroding, mainly in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, the former Soviet Union, and parts of East Asia. Here, a rising proportion of the people find their access to basic necessities restricted at the same time as they see others driving Mercedes.
“The result is a large mass of unemployed and angry young people, mostly males, to whom the new information technologies have given the means to threaten the stability of the societies they live in and even threaten social stability in countries of the wealthy zone. Economic growth in these countries often depletes natural capital and therefore future growth potential. More and more people see migration to the wealthy zone as their only salvation, and a few are driven to redemptive terrorism directed at the symbolic centers of the powerful.”
So to those who just cannot wrap their head around the fact that austerity/income inequality is and has been a trend of concern for well over a decade, and that it has been ubiquitous throughout the United States all this time as well – do some research – and better yet, join the US Census the next time they are doing community surveys or for the next Decennial Census survey.
I guarantee you that not only will your eyes be opened to the amount of abject poverty and crumbling infrastructure throughout our nation today – but that in reading your research and talking with those affected you will come to realize that it has been well over 30 years in the making.
‘Da halves -n- da half smores..’
http://mic.com/articles/87719/princeton-concludes-what-kind-of-government-america-really-has-and-it-s-not-a-democracy?utm_source=policymicFB&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=3629
I don’t dispute that austerity can/does/will lead to violence and instability, or that the real looting is happening on wall street. I was just asking if there has been any actual austerity in Ferguson, i.e., in this particular case, is austerity a possible cause of the unrest? I spent a few minutes looking at budget tables, saw spending was going up at every level of government there, and popped off the comment above. That makes me a troll…
Was genuinely interested if austerity was actually happening there and I missed it. Now that you’ve assured me that it’s “happening everywhere in the world,” I know. Thanks for bedazzling my shit-speckled head with the facts!
Trying to tie “austerity” in Ferguson in this manner is like trying to argue against global warming based solely upon yesterdays weather.
The fact of the matter is that the entire global economy, with the possible exception of Russia, has people on edge and worried. When people are content with other aspects of their life, the shooting such as happened in Ferguson would probably not have grown into an incident of such magnitude but when combined with the overall despair felt by the working class and the appearance of local police dressed as storm troopers absent any reason, is enough to spark problems. My guess, and that is what it is, merely a guess, is that the police deliberately went into the area in a manner designed to discourage protest, not to control it. One might wish to compare this to the police reaction to the protests in Lincoln Park, Chicago, 1968.
Bill Schee, Agreed.
My head is out of my ass and where is yours? Ryan Devereaux is my grandson and I,m sure he can use better language. All be it, this world is in a mess, lets help and do the right thing
test
A continuously updated list of journalists detained can be found here:
http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/264273/which-journalists-have-been-arrested-in-ferguson/
Ryan’s arrest is currently at the top of the list.
Good to know. Thank-you for that!
Thanks also for that link. It’s good information to have available.
I was just wondering, has anyone out there heard Obama-Tom say the word “we” in relation to the black community in the US? Or use the phrase “the black community” or indicate in anything he has said that he has any concern for black people (or poor) and how they are treated in the US?
He obviously isn’t thinking of them as the kind of ‘folks’ that need protecting from (rogue) law enforcement.
When it comes down to the nitty gritty, race plays no real part in this problem, class does. It makes no difference either in the real world or on a comment board whether the President is black, white, green, yellow or pink. We are all in this together and the sooner we put race and political affiliation to bed, the better off The People will be.
Why don’t you find some other venue to troll.
Over 80% of blacks believe that race is a major factor in this crisis while only 40% of whites concur with that statement. Let me guess which color you are.
“race plays no real part in this problem, class does.”
That must be why it has *always* been exceedingly worse for black and brown people. It’s easy to pretend that class plays a greater role than race, when you are a member of the race that it not at the very bottom of the pile.
The Power Elite have gradually brought to bear on all but the most privileged, techniques of exploitation and coercive force that have been perfected patiently over a century or more through daily experimentation on the racial groups most despised by the majority race. Black Americans have always been under threat and are now at immediate risk of imprisonment and/or annihilation from the occupying army of the Elite, so to declare racism plays no real part in this problem seems to me to ignore history and the stark realities blacks and browns have experienced and are experiencing.
Racism has been a singularly useful and important tool for establishing this anti-constitutional threat of intimidating violence that, had the dominant race not ignored it because it wasn’t so much their own experience, we Americans of all races could have stopped it in its tracks long ago.
If only forty or fifty years ago, the privileged classes (of the racially favored), had cried out that the problem of violence against blacks was not a racial problem or even a class problem, but a problem directed at all of humanity itself, we might not find ourselves here, having blindly come to this dreadful place of totalitarian democracy.
@TallyHoGazehound
I am internalizing the message that I would be better served doing those things instead of trying to spend my time here. Easy enough to simply read the column and move on.
Please don’t. Your comments add an invaluable perspective to the subject matter at hand no matter what it is. Your comment on the timing of Ryan Devereaux’s arrival in Ferguson, his subsequent detention, and the fact that news media are now being embedded with the police tactical units is a particularly good example of why your comments are so valuable. I would greatly miss that perspective should you become frustrated enough to not contribute.
Wrt this:
I’m about ready to throw in the towel when hard returns fail to produce the spacing I had intended.
Doug Salzman discovered the magic formula to that. Within blockquotes, you must insert on a line between the paragraphs you want separated. It frustrates me too that we have to go through an inordinately ridiculous (verging on Ministry of Silly Dances) routine to get our thoughts into a comment, but it really is important to have the feedback here and elsewhere so that people can learn more about what is happening.
Glenn has always maintained that his comment section was invaluable to him for the feedback it gave him. I would like to think that even John Cook might learn that lesson some day. ;-}
Well, the insertion code disappeared and I am not smart enough to know how to get it to appear should I try to type the characters consecutively, so I’ll just type them in a column instead.
&
n
b
s
p
;
Hope that works!
Ha! Take THAT Gods of Innertoobz Text Formatting!
@TallyHoGazehound – Reinforcing what Pedinska said. Stick around – or at least come back when the formatting issues get up to speed. We need better voices here, not less of them…and we’ve all learned to read between the lines…well, most of us.
Those complaining of the reporting of preliminary stories on events here that lack clarity (as all preliminary reports do) are clearly meant to silence, or at least to discredit the reporter, and not to further any kind of discourse.
Particularly farcical and disingenuous is when some who raise the dreaded “begs the question” fallacy to discredit a reporter or the reporting done here is when the commenter then goes on in their comment to “beg the question” in responding to such egregious journalistic behaviour.
While bringing up the fact that updates and more precise information is always needed in presenting events accurately, using the comment section to bludgeon those trying to do just that is not only ad-hominem, it is childish and counterproductive.
Hi Sillyputty!
“childish and counterproductive.”
Please allow me to add rude and generally ignorant to your list of descriptors.
I understand the links to Israeli training, but these open assaults on journalists along with other citizens also bring to mind recent events in Egypt.
Controlling the narrative is extremely important, of course, but assaulting and arresting reporters and herding the press in general to supervised areas far removed from the action . . . just seems so very unsubtle.
Have these guys just lost it, or are the gloves coming off in the class war?
“Have these guys just lost it, or are the gloves coming off in the class war?”
My guess is that both would be the correct answer. Joe Cop is doing what he thinks his masters want him to do but he lacks training in subtlety. His masters want to keep the lid on for as long as possible so they can grab as much as possible before the pressure cooker blows. All it takes are 2-3 sociopaths on either side of the line of scrimmage to turn a peaceful demonstration into a riot. Add to that, the opportunistic thieves who enter the scene and John Wayne wannabes who would confront their own grandmother if she resisted their authority and we end up with what we have here.
In this case, hopefully, the government has over reacted and the blowback will hurt. The problem is that the oligarchs won’t feel the heat until this sort of thing happens in Greenwich or Wall Street. Oh, wait! We already know what happens when inconvenience strikes Wall Street, don’t we.
Good, succinct analysis.
Sooner or later, this game is going to blow up in the bosses’ faces. They probably know that, but they think they’ll ultimately be safe in whatever compounds they have chosen. Ultimately, of course, they won’t be safe.
You might expend some energy, Doug, on the hope that enough of us survive long enough to in fact see that they are not safe. From what I’m to understand, the Elite are extremely well prepared to ensure that we don’t get to the future with them.
“Liliana Segura [email protected] 3h
If you’re wondering what other @the_intercept journos are up to, expect stories from Texas, Tennessee, Georgia & Nevada in the near future.”
Excellent.
Example of how the cops in Ferguson are acting like they’re the elementary school principals, and the citizens and press are little children under their control.
“Well you’re not gettin’ through. You’re not getting through with that credential. This doesn’t mean (rip) shit!”
Are you comfortable with being treated in that way? Are you all comfortable with our society accepting that as how things either have to be or just are?
@ Kitt:
“Are you all comfortable with our society accepting that as how things either have to be or just are?”
Not only NO but Hell NO!
Is not the expression “dip” shit?
Not sure what you’re asking. I added the “(rip)” to indicate the sound heard on the video of the cop pulling the Velcro attached PRESS patch off of the journalist’s vest.
I just clicked on the link, and it seems that YouTube has removed it on “copyright grounds”, and the entire page itself is unable to fully load (while a different, totally unrelated YouTube video worked and did so much faster). It would appear that the police have a very long reach indeed, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this take down didn’t originate anywhere close to Ferguson, but instead closer to Washington DC. What a mess this country is in…
Well how can you say he was doing his lawful job if you don’t know why he was detained? Yes reporters, especially you guys at the Intercept, go places that normal people can’t/wouldn’t, however you are not immune to arrest, there are limits to where you can go. Yes the police in Ferguson have done many unlawful things but so have the criminal elements of the protesters. By that I mean the morons who came to simply pose as protesters only to steal and loot stores at night which only serves to ruin the people fighting for the cause. Also what happened to innocent till proven guilty, I thought the Intercept was going to change something because this right was extended to possible terror suspects. I’m not asking them to be objective, only to maintain their values enough not to be hypocritical.
@ TheScaleman 19 Aug 2014 at 8:21 am
What exactly is in those gas cannisters? Who makes them? Do they have patent applications on them? Are they considered war crimes?
Tear gas. They are made by Combined Tactical Systems, 388 Kinsman Rd, Jamestown, Pennsylvania. Have no idea about the patents. Their use is forbidden in international conflicts. And they were used in Tahrir Square and are also being used against Palestinians.
http://972mag.com/photos-same-tear-gas-used-in-ferguson-and-west-bank/95699/
Almost forgot to mention that St. Louis County Police Chief Timothy Fitch was part of a group of officers from the States that traveled to Israel for training in anti-terrorism tactics.
http://archive.ksdk.com/news/article/251178/147/Chief-Fitch-visiting-Israel-for-counter-terrorism-
We often talk about how our militarism around the world creates new problems for us down the road. Not sure if the term I want is “backlash” but it will do for the moment. This time the chickens are coming home to roost. And not just in small, whitewashable amounts.
“Blow back”
Pedinska is awesome.
The unconstrained use of teargas is distinctive here. The targeting of non-violent, law-abiding people (sometimes while they were standing on their own property) seems clearcut. It would be intensely counter-productive IF quelling lawlessness & property crimes were the actual aim of the authorities.
I’m not clear on how releasing large amount of smoke & teargas help LEOs identify individual looters or vandals; it would seem to hamper them more than crowds do.
Which is I suspect, the very point. In order to hunt, they need a baited field.
I believe the term you are looking for is “blowback”.
I think “backlash” is appropriate, given that this is an overt & not a covert operation; per Wikipedia’s definition of “blowback:”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowback_%28intelligence%29
Of course, we may all be missing the covert parts of this fiasco.
Yes, Bill, thank you. Blowback was what I was reaching for but couldn’t quite grasp.
Good to see you here darlin’. ;-}
As usual, you are unusually well informed Pedinski. … &wb.
*also, as is his wont, Obama just said all the military hardware on display in Ferguson should inspire ‘congress’ to look more closely into the matter of supplying police depts. with that kind of firepower … implying he has nothing to do with it.
Twitter has been a fantastic source, as have the livefeeds found therein. If we lose net neutrality we are completely and totally fucked. Among all the other sick shit that is going on that demands our attention that should be one of the utmost priorities because without it the government, and all the gobshites they employ, will be able to do with us as they truly please. And despite what we are seeing in Ferguson, it really can get much worse. Anyone who has witnessed what is happening in Gaza knows this.
Good to see you here bah. Let me know if you decide to take a little trip to Ferguson. Maybe I’ll ride along.
Thx. Maybe…
*I just heard the negro in the White House is sending The Wolf … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojTKkfgvwvU
A Democratic congressman is preparing legislation aimed at demilitarizing police forces:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/14/police-militarization-bill_n_5679707.html
He’s been working on it for several months – before Ferguson happened. It will be interesting to see if it goes anywhere.
Seems to me President Obama could end a DoD 1033 program with a simple phone call/order (?) … or at least a wave of his pen?
*btw do you happen to know which recent AUMF/PatriotAct-type legislation grants the President, through the DoD, the authority to give police dept.s military hardware?
Regarding military equipment and police (the 1033 program from Defense Logistics Agency). In June, Alan Grayson put forward an amendment to stop it. It went down 62-355, with the Democratic leadership voting “no”. Here’s the vote:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2014/roll329.xml
Thanks for the info, it seems that my representative voted against it too (Bill Enyart, IL-12), like he did against the Amash Amendment last year. I think the local Green Party here might find this information interesting, we have a candidate in this fall’s House race (Paula Bradshaw). With the Republican Bost seemingly ignoring these kinds of issues and harping on in favor of pro-business/economic issues, it appears that Paula is the only candidate here that actually believes in civil liberties and human rights. She needs to campaign hard on this, and maybe a miracle might occur. Given overall voter courage and intelligence, or the near lack thereof, I doubt it, but it’s still worth a try.
More on tear gases and whether they’re illegal. The answer is yes, and no.
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140819/06334128250/tear-gas-is-banned-chemical-weapon-us-lobbying-made-it-okay-domestic-use-boy-do-we-use-it.shtml
So, the Clinton administration downgraded a treaty designed to save thousands of lives in favor of allowing one rogue country to kill a dozen. Does that about cover it?
Seems like it.
I would not be surprised to hear that a more modern version of “tear gas” was being used. Modern 40mm grenade capsules contain not only good old fashioned tear gas, but also have a percentage of oleoresin capsicum (OC) added which adds to its effectiveness. OC spray is more commonly known as pepper spray or pepper gas. It greatly effects the pulmonary system of its victims and will immediately effect vision to the point where the person being gassed cannot see. The immediate normal human reaction is for the victim to rub his/her eyes which, of course, only makes matters worse.
While not mandatory, OC is normally orange in color so if you see an orange tint in the cloud of gas, you are probably dealing with OC in addition to normal tear gas.
I saw the only available photograph of Officer Darren Wilson; he was receiving an award of some kind at the time it was taken.
I was struck by the man’s appearance. Although he did not sport the shaven-headed thug look that is currently a la mode in police departments across the world, he looked much older than his reported age of 28 years.
The authorities were quick to release the story that the victim, Mike Brown, was discovered to be a shoplifter, and ‘had pot in his system’ – whatever that means. They have not been very quick to release the blood work of the accused officer, however. After all, Everyone knows that marijuana turns young men into crazed and violent rapists – the government told us so, way back in 1931. And steroids are not drugs – they are medicine, that makes our fighting men strong, to take on the enemy – all those stoned hippies that are ruining the country.
Anyway, that seems to be the message. It’s from the kind of thinking that was prevalent a hundred years ago.
I was watching events last night via livestreaming (Vice & a St. Louis press company) and following on Twitter. The cops moved the media out so they could arrest the remaining demonstrators, who were blocked from leaving. There were concrete barricades in residential streets, so some of the press (Wesley Lowery, eg) had a hard time finding their way out. They routed press all over hell and gone to get them away from the action, and consolidated again at the “command center.”
I saw that Ryan was still in the neighborhood and tweeting, as were a couple of local protestors I have been following. They all reported massive attacks of teargas, and cops roaming through residential streets. Haven’t had time to check status on the locals yet, but really not surprised they arrested Ryan. They wanted no documentation of what they were doing.
There were apparently some shooting injuries, and the cops claimed they were not using live ammo, so it was coming from “bad guys.” That, I am sure, is or will be the justification for shutting down the demonstration and the press, and launching the teargas/house-by-house invasion of a residential neighborhood.
Thanks for this shenebraskan.
Can you share the twitter addresses (not sure if this is correct term) of the locals you are following? Some of us might want to join you in following them. Thanks again.
Why has my comment been removed ?
Why was my comment removed ? John Bertotto
Because journalist aren’t yet being targeted, perhaps.
Perhaps John Cooks needs to take a look at http://FightGangStalking.com
It’s a variation of the old CoIntelPro. And to think that it isn’t connected to what’s transpiring in Ferguson, MO is very short-sighted and naive.
And I actually proofed my last comment. (:
Because journalists (plural) aren’t yet being targeted, perhaps.
Perhaps John Cook (no “s”) needs to take a look at … (refer to link in previous comment.)
It’s a variation of the old CoIntelPro. And to think that it isn’t connected to what’s transpiring in Ferguson, MO is very short-sighted and naive. And I doubt that John Cook falls into either of those categories.
Thanks for this posting. I hope that Ryan Devereaux writes one heck of a story about what’s transpiring in Ferguson.
The correct name and spelling of the German newspaper is just “BILD”.
I don’t have a $10,000 camera – just a little android phone with a cracked screen – I don’t have press credentials – but I have a twitter feed and a couple of youtube channels and in my own way I try to “be the media” – Captain Johnson doesn’t understand that citizens protesters and citizen journalists also have rights. I haven’t been in Ferguson – but along with people around the world, I have been witnessing “law enforcement” terrorize the good people of Ferguson, Missouri. @MylaReson
For those who didn’t pay attention to definitions or warning of a “police state”… catch a glimpse of it on live TV, any day, in Ferguson, Missouri. Remember the “but if you don’t do anything wrong, don’t fear” arguments of NSA citizen spying… these Ferguson folks didn’t do anything wrong, have hands up and witness how “doing nothing wrong” gets them.
The german newspaper is called “Bild” its website is “bild(dot)de. I hope this reaches the editor!
Your use of “begs the question” raises the question of whether you should be editing The Intercept. It also answers the question of whether you should be writing stories. At least this is better than your first (absolutely pointless) piece about celebrating a holiday you don’t believe in. Anyway, when you get a chance, maybe you tell us who the quotes are from in the first update. I assume from the police, but which department? St. Louis County? Is that who arrested the journalists, or was it another department that then brought them to county jail? Help us decipher the basic facts of the story you are trying to report. But do also keep us posted on what you “believe” they were hit with.
Those complaining of the reporting of preliminary stories on events here that lack clarity (as all preliminary reports do) are clearly meant to silence, or at least to discredit the reporter, and not to further any kind of discourse.
Particularly farcical and disingenuous is when some who raise the dreaded “begs the question” fallacy to discredit a reporter or the reporting done here is when the commenter then goes on in their comment to “beg the question” in responding to such egregious journalistic behaviour.
While bringing up the fact that updates and more precise information is always needed in presenting events accurately, using the comment section to bludgeon those trying to do just that is not only ad-hominem, it is childish and counterproductive.
So glad to hear y’all are in the trenches. Kudos. This is the kind of journalism that rocks.
Unfuckingacceptable
Given that Ferguson has hired a PR team, whether Gov. Nixon knows the degree to which Ferguson’s images are rocketing around the internet or not, the PR team would know and advise, and the DoJ is aware and involved in Brown’s autopsy results, so the takeaway is – honestly – no authority cares that this repression is going down the way it is. And, that it is highly visible. If you had been previously confused about the gloves being off, you should be receiving the message loud and clear right now. It might be Ferguson today, but it could be just as easily any one of us tomorrow.
Interesting that the PR team of eight are all white.
TallyHo makes this critical point:
Exactly. It’s been increasingly clear they don’t care one whit.
Think about what that means. They cannot even be shamed. Bull Connor & Co. eventually appalled the nation because of that new thing called television. “Certain people” learned after that they should be more slick.
But now, they truly do not seem to care about pictures of brutalized protesters and journalists swamping the world.
Their…nonchalance is quite frightening.
President Obama has called for ‘calm’ and ‘improved race relations’ (see NYT).
*But Obama is a few shades whiter than Benito Mussolini … so, I don’t know how much good that will do.
The repression is highly visible so, in addition to how those in charge are responding, the question remains, how will the general public respond? I would hope that people have sense enough to realize that this is not happening just in Ferguson, MO and not just to the folks there. I don’t hold out much hope though that this realization will sink in soon enough to change the narrative.
Exactly, TallyHoGazehound. The lack of response from the higher ups signals that the way the Ferguson police are handling this crisis is considered legitimate.
But what about my feelings … I would sorely miss Tally! :)
Okay, Intercept, granted I forgot the tag fragment that should have followed -top”. But this comment system is genuinely frustrating. I’ve been willing to spend the time trying to figure out the protocols by which this thing operates. And, I think I’ve been patient with the apparent randomness of what works and what doesn’t, but I’m about ready to throw in the towel when hard returns fail to produce the spacing I had intended. It’s beginning to feel like you care as much for your commenters as Ferguson does for its residents. I have no urgent need to comment on these articles. There are lots of other things I could be doing, and in some cases, would prefer to do. I am internalizing the message that I would be better served doing those things instead of trying to spend my time here. Easy enough to simply read the column and move on.
I hear ya. If it’s any source of hope, last week or so Glenn popped in to reply to Nate, who was also very frustrated with the commenting scheme here. Glenn advised myriad improvements were imminent and pending.
One can only pray.
That’s somewhat heartening.
This all sounds vaguely like what happened over at Salon when they made their “new and improved” comments section back in…2011 was it? I’m guessing that Glenn is getting a little frustrated with the process too.
Re: -Mona-
Really! “One can only pray.”?
What about >i/i< subscribing to a service like Discus, so its commenters could better focus on substantive discussion and have the alternative to "follow" fellow contributors who actually demonstrate a cogent interest in reasonable and informed debate? Such a move would also provide exposure to the followers of other sites attempting to disseminate reliable information.
"Work is love made visible." KG
As Usual,
EA
On a side note, I want to inform this body of commentors, in the last 24 hours, something particularly odd, if not nefarious has been occurring across numerous sites that I have posted comments at, only to be blocked, most of which were first time comments, and most, but not all, were Discus powered, but all were in regards to gun and civil rights. I’m not usually inclined to create conspiratorial type scenarios, but as I have contacted every site so far, it appears there is something nefarious going on here. I’m only posting this to see if anyone else has experienced comment blocking across multiple sites in the last 24 hours or so. If so, please explain the circumstances, as I have only received one reply to my emails to these sites. Thanks.
Not very private, not secure. The Intercept has more respect for its readers and commenters, I believe, than Discus does. We’re not forced to use gravatar or to sign in with open cookie jars, or to have a google account, FB, etc..
John Cook 14 Apr 2014 at 2:24 pm
“If you don’t like looking at dead air, then you should look away for a while.”
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/04/14/passover-greetings-editor/#comment-22803
Frankly, to me it makes no difference what formatting is used as long as the idea gets through. If the Intercept wants us to write on toilet paper and then proceeds to distribute our toilet paper musings, I will be content.
Pretty don’t mean shit.
Concur, Mr. Schee.. My point being that we’ve already been warned that this site is still a ‘work in progress’..
Safe Travels..
TI people are undoubtedly tracked everywhere possible under the auspices of “national security” interests. If they can just prevent the next Edward Snowden…
I make no definitive suggestion Ryan’s arrest was arranged, John, but whatever electronics he carried has also been detained…
What does it mean for a single person to fail to disperse? Dispersal is, by definition, a group activity. Was Devereaux part of a conspiracy to refrain from dispersal?
As is well known and understood by all in the legal establishment, a reporter on duty can go where he wishes and do what he wishes so long as it is in aid of reporting and publishing. In short, reporters are subject to no rules that might abridge their freedom to do their job of reporting.
In response to Brad Benson:
Back in1979, I went to a party in a small city on the outskirts of L.A. The police had just broken up another party 3 miles away and beaten many of the attendees. When they (the police) showed up at this party they announced (with the PA) “this party is OVER! Everybody go home!” An officer standing right next to the one with the PA, picked up a bottle and threw it down at his feet. The one with the PA then announces: “OK, that’s it! WE’RE COMING IN!”
They then proceeded to beat nearly every male in attendance with their police sticks, arresting no one.
This police tactic of using the excuse that “a bottle was thrown at police” is a tried and true excuse by police agencies that’s been used for decades. It becons to the movie ‘Patton’, where George C.Scott proclaims (talking about the Russians) “I’ll kick their ass, and make it seem like they started it”.
It was used just recently by the LAPD in 2007 to break up a peaceful protest by Latin Americans in MacArthur Park. LAPD used that excuse and when they had their feet held to the fire, to provide the name of the officer who witnessed the bottle thowing -they could provide none. William Bratton, the cheif of the LAPD at the time knew this and hurriedly resigned in a month to escape his duty of charging police officers with assault and battery. Christofer Dorner can attest to unwritten rule of ‘cop must not turn on cop’.
So it should not be ANY surprise that the police in FERGUSTAN are still using this valuable ‘policing’ tool. Just keep in mind; every time you read that ‘a bottle was thrown at police’ at a peaceful protest, the police have lost patience, and the bull is in the china shop. Hail to the United Police State of America!
Here in Queensland Australia a police trick is to put a person in a “stress” (ie torture) position, such as their wrists or hands bent backwards. The police officer then shouts out loudly “Stop it! Ow!” as if the police officer is in pain while hurting the person further.
The whole world is watching what is happening in Ferguson. A terrible look for the US.
More recently, LA’s finest…http://revcom.us/a/089/lamayday-en.html
“The LAPD rampage against May Day immigrant rights protesters has fueled further outrage at the persecution of immigrants by raids, vigilantes, and police. There is widespread indignation and anger at this unprovoked and inexcusable police attack throughout broad sections of people across society—including Black people and many sections of the middle class. People are asking, “Why did this happen?” and “What can we do about this?”
Like the image of Rodney King being brutally beaten by the Los Angeles Police Department—blow, after blow, after blow—the image of battalions of LAPD officers on May 1st, brutalizing and shooting rubber bullets into a massive crowd of protesters and journalists is burned into the memory of many people throughout the country.”
Patton was delusional,the Russkies would have kicked our ass post WW2,unless we dropped the big one indiscriminately,and somehow I don’t think Europeans would have liked that.They had the tanks and muscle, and though our air power was superior, there were many aircraft put out by the SU that were excellent machines,they beat the Luftwaffe.
I think that’s very unfair. By that logic, should I believe the people already claiming that Ryan Devereaux must have done something to get arrested on purpose? After all, haven’t reporters blocked ambulances to get pictures of celebrities before? Hacked into the phones of crime victims? Should I assume they’re all just sleazy sensationalists who do “that kind of thing”?
Compassion, reason, and empathy work both ways, if you’re going to incorporate them into an argument. I realize how difficult that can be, of course, when you see something upsetting. I’m only halfway consistent on my best day. But I think it’s a worthwhile thing to aim for.
It’s not just Ferguson, it’s happening around the world. Chaos and mayhem is a distraction for something much bigger…not to say taking a life is something small by no means, or denying the people the right to protest and gather to express their grievance against the government. History shows their is an ongoing agenda to rid the world of people of color at the same time establish a government that rules with an “iron fist”.
The growing militarization of the US police forces has been on-going for several years. The question is how to reverse it. Is it possible? Only I think with the co-operation of the forces themselves and willingly given at that. Seems not likely. Canadians are smugly assuming this is not going to happen here in the Retarded Giant to the North, but the repression of people protesting at the G8 meeting in Toronto was a fairly recent example of how it is happening here, just a bit slower, a bit later, than in the US. But unarguably it is happening.
It was G20 in Toronto, G8 in Muskoka, both selected by our Retarded Giant of a Prime Minister and costing Canadians $1.2 billion. Many of us Torontonians won’t vote Conservative because of G20 and the largest mass arrest (1,100 people) in the country’s history, most released without charge. Our police turned into thugs, and it remains uncertain who gave the orders, as police did not pursue the group of black-clad vandals who smashed storefronts. I could go on and on . . .
Yeah, okay, the military equipment and uniforms come right out of Iraq and Afghanistan; but the whole Gestalt of a militarized police, using non-lethal tear-gas, stun-grenades, rubber bullets, et cetera to enforce control upon an occupied people, derives from Palestine — where, over the course of many years, via the international media, Israel has succeeded in making this ‘the new normal’ on the world-stage.
Well stated. The continued subjugation of the nation’s people of color will end in disaster. Our first black President stands by while lofting missiles at various and sundry foreign targets. What a colossal disappointment is the man.
Cf. mondoweiss.net/2014/08/ferguson-companies-supplying.html
I am not a zionist sympathizer, but surely you jest, Geoffrey. South Africa? India under British occupation? How about the treatment of slum dwellers in Brazil? When you say things that amount to, “This is all Isreal’s fault,” what do you think someone with a cursory knowledge of modern history thinks? (Answer: You’re an anti-semite). Despise Israel for what they actually do, not for things everyone else does.
In which case, the truth is antisemitic. Raw Story in 2011:
Report: Israeli model underlies militarization of U.S. police
St. Louis County Police Chief Timothy Fitch went to Israel in 2011 to take this training.
You’re right Mona. This is not a new thing. I supplied an additional link above.
All of this is interconnected and that connection goes much, much further than just the military aid we supply to The Only Democracy in The Middle East.
So I grant that my phrasing implied I thought Geoffrey was anti-semitic, which I don’t. I also don’t dispute the police-trained-in-Israel facts that Glenn has been getting so much flak on these days for pointing out. But to say: “the whole Gestalt of a militarized police…derives from Palestine” and “via the international media, Israel has…” etc. I think, makes “someone with a cursory knowledge of modern history,” in many cases, mistake Geoff for an anti-semite. In other words, Blumenthal’s reporting of fact does not support Geoffery’s unfortunate phrasing.
I think you (Mona) may be getting at the “it is not anti-semitic to point out facts” argument (which I do not dispute), so, to be as charitable as possible to the “lay off Israel” contingent, let’s imagine the counterfactual. If Israel wasn’t enforcing violent apartheid and war against Palestinian civilians, would our police not have surplus military equipment? Would unrest be absent in the U.S.? Would our police not be trained somewhere else de facto apartheid is enforced on socioeconomic grounds, like India or Brazil (or, er, some other places in the U.S. itself)? Would they not have the “us against them” mentality the drug war has brought about? That is why bringing up Israel in the Ferguson context pisses some people off. Not because it is not true that the Fergustan police trained in Israel, but because it is hardly relevant. The Ferguson police and the Israelis are responsible for their own actions — they are not victims of their teachers. The Israelis did not create the Ferguson mess, they don’t own the international media, they don’t control wall street — these are things that should be pointed out to people asserting them, I think, to help avoid further misunderstanding and tragedy.
Well, it is the “whole gestalt” for the Western world. U.S. law enforcement is not training in India or Brazil.
The origin of training is extremely relevant. If we were talking of economics, would it not be germane to point out that one of the actors was trained in the Chicago School or in law, was trained at the Yale School of Law? The origin of training generally tells you what the training consists of and where it gets its basis. Crowd control tactics used by the Israelis is generally considered effective, if not humane. That’s why the reference is important. Training is everything and if we outsource training of our police to those who have an entirely different goal in mind, their goal becomes our’s and those tactics are not necessary, indeed they may be counter effective, in the context of a city in the US.
We are not in Gaza and our People must not be treated as the Israelis treat the Palestinians. If that is true, why would or should we look toward Tel Aviv, with their record of brutality and disdain for human life (other than their own), for training domestic police?
# Macroman:- No joking matter, far from it. I find that Mona and Pedinska have offered by now an ample defense of what I had to say, and AGGRIEVED a positive affirmation of it. More than that, Mona has alerted us all to what Max Blumenthal has had to say on precisely this matter, for which I thank her enormously. If, Macroman, you wanna deem what I had to observe and point out as anti-Semitic, that’s fine by me just so long as, at the same time, you will accept the burden of condemning all critics of Izzis4raeli policy and grotesque misconduct as equally anti-Semitic — critics such as Chomsky, Henry Sieg, Max Blumenthal, Glenn Greenwald, Jacob Appelbaum, Amy Goodman, Uri Avnery, Norman Finkelstein, etc., etc. all of them in my personal estimation honourable, righteous, principled, and noble jews (by ethnicity) who, pretty much as the 91-year-old Holocaust victim arrested @ Fergistan exhorted with her T-shirt: ‘Stay Human’. Sorry, but I’m afraid there can be no more respectful response from me to the kinda cheap intellectual nihilism and vulgarity that so distinguishes what you had to say in response to my posting. — P.S. Did you check out the link that I posted as a postscript?
Geoffrey and Mona, If Israel is the “whole gestalt” assertion is here to stay, fine. It takes away from Israel’s real crimes to scapegoat them for ours; justice is not served in either case. But have it your way. We’ll just agree to disagree for who is at fault, Israel or the U.S.
Geoffrey, I did not check out your follow up link until just now. The linked story notes that the tear gas is made in the USA and is being used in Ferguson. It is also used in Israel. Therefore, this is all Israel’s fault, Geoffrey?!? I understand you do not agree with my response to your comment, but I am genuinely confused by what is nihilistic or vulgar about it. Maybe I just hurt your feelings or something; sorry for that. I would never call GG, Chomsky, or the others you cited anti-semites. I never called you one; I said people would think you are. Also, the people you list, to my knowledge, haven’t said what you said and would probably phrase it differently if they did. Regardless, your link just shows that we the American people are responsible and no one else. You know that — every scapegoater does, that’s why you resort to it.
Macroman, I cannot respond directly to your latest as, strangely enough, there is no option for “Reply” offered underneath; so here I add an addendum to my last offering instead and hope you’ll get to see this, neverthelesss. What is clear enough is that you did not scrutinize my link with enough care. Had you done so you would have noticed the Israeli flag flying proudly on a pole — outside the munitions’ company’s factory in Pennsylvania, USA (sic).
Oh, and by the way, Macroman:- Maybe I should’ve mentioned apropos your first posting that I am, by profession, an historian of certain aspects of modern culture, and with some kinda academic publication-record to my credit.
I did indeed miss the flag. Cool that you’re an historian. I’m not. Still think its a bit much to blame Israel for Ferguson.
@Macroman – Regarding your argument – using, once again, as was pointed out previously, some kind of mind-reading capability:
” When you say things that amount to, “This is all Isreal’s fault,” – Macroman to Geoffrey de Galles
It serves as a reminder that asking specific questions rather than inferring what others mean is a more effective way to get the questions clarified.
And yet you still insist on summing up your argument thusly:
“Still think its a bit much to blame Israel for Ferguson.
Which means you’ve missed the point entirely. Unless Geoffrey de Galles or Mona rightfully corrects me, no one was so bluntly and unequivocally “blaming” Israel for Ferguson.
They were simply pointing out causal relationships that have a direct bearing on how militarized police actions have now become internationalized, and that the US is using anti-insurgency and other tactics on civilians, aided and abetted by Israel – among others.
That each agency/government/officer/citizen is responsible for their own actions is a given – but discounting any correlation after looking into the matter is, in my view, factually incorrect and morally irresponsible.
#Macroman: “Tear-gas in my eyes, reminds me baby of you” — vide:
rt.com/usa/181428-ammunition-tear-gas-ferguson/
This should go over well in Germany, where our US officials are attempting to keep that country in line with Russia policy — quite against all natural German interests.
According to Ryan Gallager “according to John Cook” Ryan Devereaux, after having spent the night in jail, will be released without charge within the hour.
I’d love to know in what ways the intel system the Intercept and others have cataloged was used in this event — terror fusion centers, etc. How, exactly, did the cops/Guard know that organized criminal elements from as far away as New York were descending on the city? I’m thinking of the reaction to Occupy, and all that. We’ll probably never know…unless another leaker helps out.
Also, don’t press walk around with press creds? If you flash that, shouldn’t you be left alone, and not detained? They’re just trying to get the media off the street — typical warzone activity, of course.
Of course, presuming that wasn’t a complete fabrication, the outside agitator/criminal element thing.
Doug thanks for the tip—> presuming that wasn’t a complete fabrication
Sadly, it’s getting harder and harder to figure out who the bad guys are….and don’t expect it to get any easier.
The First Amendment prohibits Congress from passing laws to restrict free speech, but there is no such legal constraint on the police of Ferguson. So the question should be: is arresting the reporters sent to cover the protests a reasonable action?
On one hand, the press coverage has generally been negative towards Ferguson. The police are only human, and should not be expected to sit idly by while someone portrays them in an unflattering light. On the other hand, arresting reporters tends to be counterproductive by focusing even more attention on the events in Ferguson.
But I think this paradox helps explain the arrests. In Europe, for example, Ferguson has attracted enormous interest. Yet most of the people following these events probably have never even heard of the city of St. Louis or of the state of Missouri. So it all comes down to marketing, since there is no such thing as bad publicity. Seen in this light, the police have been sacrificing their image and reputations in order to draw more publicity to Ferguson. The municipality in turn can be expected to find ways to leverage this publicity for commercial gain – federal and state grants to promote racial harmony and possibly marketing a line of Ferguson police action figures. Down the road, there may be filming rights, book rights and tourists visiting the places they have seen on TV.
I’m not suggesting the original shooting was done for this reason; those sort of police shootings happen in the US every other day. But I believe the subsequent shows of force and arresting of reporters and non-violent protestors to help prolong the showdown have been completely calculated. In Iraq, ISIS (a rag tag militia that has managed to puff itself up into the Greatest Threat Ever) uses similar methods of generating publicity for themselves, and in fact, are even a bit more violent than the Ferguson police, since the arrests are generally followed by summary executions. Yet in this comment section, I see many criticisms of the Ferguson police and none of ISIS. A double standard is clearly at play.
I think your understanding of Constitutional law is a little weak. The First Amendment most definitely applies to the Ferguson police, not just the Congress. Look up the 14th amendment and the concept of “incorporation”. That is, if you weren’t trying to be ironic, that often doesn’t come through in text.
Thank you. I believe you went easy with your assessment.
I certainly never got as far as the Fourteenth Amendment, and I doubt the Ferguson police did either, so I’ll take your word for it. If the authors of the amendment had wanted anyone to read it, they would have declared it to be top secret, not buried it where no one would bother looking.
But I probably erred in referencing the Constitution in the first place, as it’s an aspirational document and was never meant as a template for actual government. Even if a case were brought before the Supreme Court, they would simply declare deference to the Executive Branch, who in turn, would declare deference to the municipal police force. So the Ferguson Police are the law. But the Constitution is intended to inspire them as they take whatever measures are necessary to enforce public order.
I certainly never got as far as the Fourteenth Amendment, and I doubt the Ferguson police did either, so I’ll take your word for it.
Indeed, this is a problem for the citizenry in general as well. A large percentage plays hopscotch over the First, trips and falls face down, slavering, over the Second, and never gets any further.
You are in good company.
Il Duce, you are simply the best.
Carry on.
The reason you see no criticism of ISIS in this comments section is not because of a double standard. It is because this article is not about ISIS. Nonsense is clearly at play.
Consider that this commenter posts as “Benito Mussolini.” Further consider that “he” frequently stays in character.
Sorta like Stephen Colbert.
Publicity may be a good thing, Duce, but hypocrisy isn’t. The US has come in for a lot of tut-tutting this week from some very unsavory governments. Tu quoque, and all that.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2014/08/19/the_world_s_dictators_love_the_unrest_in_ferguson.html
Well obviously Mr. Cook, Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson was mistaken. He should have said members of the “criminal element” from “as far away as Germany have been arrested.
And as you know Mr. Cook, in America (as most people in jury pools will attest to) just the fact that you have been arrested by the police means -YOU MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING! The police don’t arrest people for ‘nothing’.
So don’t be silly John, that would make America a police state.
I keep hearing that shots were fired at the Police. Yet we never see any evidence of these . Somehow these people must that are shooting at the cops must be very poor shots if no one is ever struck.
Ah yes, the misinformation/lies and propaganda efforts are in full swing. I saw a report from CNN which talked about “white anarchists from outside the town” were there creating problems. I’m sure CNN will interview some of these “anarchists” and verify their reporting.
Additionally and very important to keep in mind is that FBI/CIA/DEA and other agencies have been using spies for many years and are able to plant spies pretty much at will. There could be hundreds of spies within the protests going to the meetings and figuring out who the key people are to arrest and “neutralize”
Going to what meetings? Protesters in Furguson are having meetings?
Yes, they have meetings and press conferences many of them have been broadcast on TV.
A press conference isn’t a meeting. I haven’t seen any private or public meetings of citizen protesters “broadcast on TV.” You have a link to an example of that?
It’s a known fact these agencies plant trouble makers into protests to turn them violent and discredit the movement/protest/cause.
If you see something in my comments that disputes that, point to it. If you have an answer to my question about links to televised meetings of citizen protestors, please do post the link. I’m being specific here. I’m well the hell aware that FBI and so forth supply undercover pricks and prickettes who have in the past infiltrated, for example, Occupy. I’m also well aware that the violent or troublesome acts in protests that takes place are often the actions undertaken by agents provocateurs or some such. And I’m sure that that has happened in Ferguson. But that’s not what this conversation was about.
While it’s entirely possibel that Ryan Devereaux was somewhere “off limits,” or didn’t respond to some order quickly enough, or looked at some cop “wrong”…. I can’t help but wonder, given this whether Ryan wasn’t specifically targeted.
I further find it interesting that David Carson was able to report that arrest/detention, presumably, because
Mr. Carson was embedded within the law enforcement response.
[emphasis mine]
IIRC, some other major mainstream media outlet had, much earlier, in the Ferguson events requested to be embedded and was denied.
These two tweets were filed just 3 minutes apart:
From Ryan’s twitter timeline, I surmise he was onthe ground in Ferguson just about 4.25 hours, and in a residential area, when he was “detained” after identifying himself as a journalist.
Imagine if it were 2009 and this protest was in the streets of Tehran! The entire apparatus from Obama down would be condemning the intimidation and arrest of journalists and ordinary citizens. Where is the MSM?
The “MSM” isn’t completely out of the scene. I posted a video in this very thread of Jake Tapper from inside Ferguson.
Context!! Previous sentence: “…condemnation…”! Where is the MSM’s unison condemnation?
Very true,like the Maidan,we backed the violent fascist faction over the democratic,and in Teheran,the subversive Ziowhores over the government.
Hypocrisy,one of the worst deadly sins.
Good attempt at poisoning the comments thread with anti-semitic agitprop…. very clever placement. Truly. A few hours and ~100 comments have gone by since the post you “responded” to was written. Your effort should have gone unnoted by the sane, and yet still have garnered the attention of a few loons.
You get an “E” for effort, but an “F” for failing to disguise your intent, and failing to acquire any neo-Naziod support comments. It’s been 1.5 hours now; you should have a trickle of nutjobs applauding you.
How much is bail for reporting John? *i’m only a few hundred miles away
I get so angry at police routinely abusing power during protests, basically arresting whomever they want. I realize that the requirements of the job are corrosive to those who serve, but for heaven’s sake, to be so tone deaf to the community that displaying tanks and rifles is considered a good idea?
Is it possible to take the surplus military equipment back?
Embedded journalists parroting police propoganda is all I have read on main stream media today. Apparently The Intercept’s reporter needed a little reeducation.
Extra-judical killings, gassing women and children. The wars have come home.
What exactly is in those gas cannisters? Who makes them? Do they have patent applications on them? Are they considered war crimes?
“TheScaleman – The ingredient used in the canisters found in Ferguson is called 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile. It, technically, isn’t a “gas” as it is solid normally. However, it is mixed with another solvent (many different kinds are used) and also a propellant.
CS gas is, in fact, banned in war-time. Militaries are not allowed to use them, but they are allowed to be used as riot control.
Studies have shown that some mixtures of CS gas can cause miscarriages as it can alter chromosomal makeup within the fetus. Other studies show long-term effects as “troubling.”
The gas itself should be called “anti-breathe” gas or “vomit-gas,” but in order to make its usage much more accepted, tear gas was used. People with breathing conditions can have fatal reactions to the gas. Also, breathing the gas for an extended period of time can also be fatal (it should never be used in an enclosed space as it WILL kill anyone that continues breathing it in).
So yes, they are considered war crimes. There are several makers: Defense Technologies, Combined Systems Inc., and Nonlethal Technologies Inc..
I hope this answers your questions. And yes, you’re right. . . the wars have come home. It will only get worse from here because the government will begin tougher crack-downs on citizen movement and protesting.
All they had to do was to put the cop under some form investigation, charges, something, and none of this would be happening
He is under investigation. He will likely be cleared, though, with no charges pressed.
Can you post our comments so we can read them.
So, is it true that when we criticize Obama on this site, then you censure the comment!!! Not the best beginning for a so-called independent media!!
Francois, I’ve criticized Obama on this site with no repercussions. The writers for this site have criticized Obama from the very first edition of the magazine with no repercussions. My first question is,
Who in the fuck do you think you are trying to kid, Troll.
The second question is, whose payroll are you on?
I am not surprised that this government is attacking our journalists , they have been attacking this 74 year old , old man for 3.5 years and they don’t even know why.Hardly a day goes by that I don’t find my car seat out of adjust , a shirt is torn , or my CPAP machine has chemistry in the water jacket.Our country is a real mess.
That’s not the government dear sir, that’s the Gremlins.
[ But when we do take you into custody, and we have found out that you are a journalist, we have taken the proper action.]
Which is… thorough cavity searches?
Hey, I got a Q. I see that some have pics associated to their names. How do you do that?
Try gravatar. It’s a Word Press app. But I gather it may make tracking you easier.
Two minute MEDIAite video:
Jake Tapper finding it all more than a bit over the top and nonsensical as he points to the scene of weaponized, militarized police overseeing the scene of people calmly walking around on their own street. “This doesn’t make any sense.”
Actual journalism telling the world what is going on. Great to see!
One comment that I read could be taken to mean that police were denying that Devereaux is a reporter after having the opportunity to examine his credentials. Given the NSA, paranoia flowers… but then, given the NSA, one could imagine a kind of “no-fly press list”. Hope not. The press is actually doing something! Intercept, you’re at the forefront. Admiration and thanks.
Ansgar Graw from german newspaper “Welt” + colleague Frank Herrmann arrested in Ferguson by officer who called himself “Donald Duck” : http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article131363772/Der-Tag-an-dem-die-US-Polizei-mein-Feind-wurde.html
“between reporters and other bystanders” So the ‘other bystanders’ are the targets of the apprehension? Since when is being a ‘bystander’ in anything, much less a peaceful protest, a socially threatening, dangerous, illegal offence?!
Attorney General Eric Holder is due to arrive in Ferguson today, also.
Sure hope he’s not arrested.
As the Ferguson City Council features one attorney and one ex cop, who should know better than to allow the execution officer Wilson to leave town while arresting other people on sight, perhaps the entire State of Missouri should be avoided.
Kind of like where they kill people in foreign countries on the prior assumption that they’re militants. It’s just a bureaucratic convenience, but less correctable.
They arrested two German (Die Welt, Bild) and one Austrian (Der Standard) journalist.
German article: http://derstandard.at/2000004486716/STANDARD-Journalist-voruebergehend-festgenommen
This has sure been a great advertisement for the “state of Missouri”. Missouri, if you want to remain “fly-over” country, where no thinking US citizen would waste his time and money, congratulations, you’re doing just the right thing. Becoming an embarrassment to the rest of the country.
Don’t think for a minute that this is an aberration.
Our elected representatives passed a bill to provide police departments with military equipment. They have voted against attempts to demilitarize them.
Our president has been labeled the one most hostile to journalists in history.
The tactics used on OWS protesters were approved from the top, through Homeland Security, and will continue to be used.
The Ferguson police are openly treating the citizens and journalists like the enemy, with violence, unlawful detainments, threats of death, and racist language. And there has been no real response from the president and no consequences for the “rogue” police.
The police state is here.
thanks PI but let’s not forget that even more than being a race war, this is related to class–> http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/18/kareem-abdul-jabbar-ferguson-unrest-about-class-wa/
Why would you link to the right wing Moony fish wrapper called the Washington Times? You should be aware that many thinking people will not read that propaganda rag. The story originated elsewhere.
On another note… here is an interesting and thoughtful take on Kareem’s article by the great sports reporter Dave Zirin:
http://m.thenation.com/blog/181310-my-major-problem-kareem-abdul-jabbars-powerful-essay-ferguson
I agree about it being moonie loonie territory,but people quote the looney Zionist MSM all day,and don’t question it.Sometimes you can find some truth in the strangest places.
Yes, he is absolutely right that the ruling class is expecting unrest because of income inequality and austerity policies, and militarization is how they are preparing for it.
They are certainly sending a signal that job insecurity, homelessness, and the decimation of the safety net is only going to get worse. Recall that Greenspoon thinks high unemployment is great for the economy.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar writes: “The middle class has to join the poor and whites have to join African-Americans in mass demonstrations, in ousting corrupt politicians, in boycotting exploitative businesses, in passing legislation that promotes economic equality and opportunity, and in punishing those who gamble with our financial future . . . If we don’t have a specific agenda — a list of exactly what we want to change and how — we will be gathering over and over again beside the dead bodies of our murdered children, parents, and neighbors.”
You believe that you’d be better off in New York?
It was so sad, for lack of another term, to watch the end of Obama press meeting when he congratulated a journalist for whatever, applauding, and the crowd in the room “enjoying”. In such a period of crisis do we really need to witness the state of integrity in the Washington press world? Is it cynicism or total irresponsibility from the White House not to show more restrain in exposing the cronyism between power and the press corps? So when real journalists try to report from “reality” then they are marginalized, denounced and now arrested. Will the time come when they will be killed here at home as they are targeted and killed when they are not “embedded” with our “beloved” military? Sad is the term. Best wishes for Devereaux.
The police appear to claim the authority to arrest journalists anywhere outside designated areas – just for being outside those areas. Is that true? If so, how is that constitutional? I thought the curfew was lifted. And even if it was not, there is no justification for applying it to members of the media wholesale – it seems more designed to censor the press, as do all of the restrictions. Why should the rules be more restrictive than in a war? They should not be.
It seems that everything lately is coming home to roost for the US. Drones are showing up over cities, aerostats that were normally used over bases in Iraq will now be over DC and even the ex-military personnel or at least their equipment is showing up on US streets.
Though the militarization of local police is getting attention I am not sure if people really understand what is happening and that it is just a small part of a much larger problem. With income disparity and the rise of the third world, the only way that the elites can keep control is via technology that allows small numbers to control larger numbers, ie the 1% to control the 99%: tanks, drones, gas, media discourse…
In a nutshell, citizens of America are now the enemny. Guess there are only so many times we can invade Iraq and we are running out of contries.
Curfews, not allowing people to stand in one place, ie, aggregate is BS. The 1st amendment does not function only between 6AM and 12AM nor only if you are moving. This is no longer America… not sure what this country is. Maybe Amnisty International can find out.
Aside from all the other obvious 1st Amendment violations, what about opening up official press conferences with prayers to Jesus?
Since when does being a journalist or reporter mean you don’t have to obey a lawful order from the police? The order to move back is usually given to protect the safety of the reporter. We see over and over these reports of these detainments, yet no video of the incounter is ever on tv.
This is outrageous. I sincerely hope Mr. Deveraux remains safe. I was just at RT to check up on some of the latest developments. The actions – and comments of the – whatever you want to call them – are truly concerning. There was a comment by Mr. Johnson, I believe, about not letting groups get big… troubling. Troublemakers were mentioned and I have to wonder – as has been speculated here at TI – that many of those may be actually gov’t provacateurs? There have been quite a few residents of Ferguson who have maintained that troublesome elements are most likely outsiders —- but they may not have been aware/thought of the idea they might be something quite different from what they might seem.
I’m also wondering if there’s anything WE can do to help the situation?
Hi Feline-
Re: gov’t provacateurs?
are you talking about city, state or federal provacatuers?
Or those hired by government contractors?
Just wondering
**government contractors fascistic
A very disapointing performance by Ron Johnson. He should be better informed – is he in charge at all, knows what the cops are doing? Such totally nonsensical arrests have to be stopped! This only reinforces the impression of a ham fisted approach by the police and increases the tensions. What the hell are those officers thinking?
They’ve falsely arrested so many journalists and photographers – how many other arrests were false?
welcome to the gulag
That’s not what begs the question means
Exactly, the proper phrase in this instance is ‘raises the question’. “Beg the question” refers to the use of a circular argument in a sentence.
Oof. “Begs the question” does not mean what you think it means.