[Marxism] Seattle journalists arrested at RNC in St. Paul

[David Thorstad <binesi@xxxxxxxxx>]

Pepperspray Productions journalist Joseph La Sac released
Pepperspray Productions journalist Lamert Lambert Rochfort is being
charged with felony riot.

Below is an email sent from their home office in Seattle.

________________________________________

Randy Rowland, from PepperSpray Productions, here. Instead of sending
you an announcement about a screening, this email is unusual for us,
it is a call for help.

Two PepperSpray collective members, Lambert Rochfort and Joe LaSac, on
assignment in St Paul covering the protests associated with the
Republican National Convention, were both arrested on Sunday while
covering the story. Both are still being held without charges or an
opportunity to go before a judge.

Lambert was swept up in a mass arrest of peaceful citizens who were
surrounded by cops and all arrested. Joe was arrested about the same
time as Amy Goodman and two other journalists from "Democracy Now!"
were arrested. In fact if you watch the footage of Amy Goodman
standing in handcuffs, the fellow sitting on the ground at her feet is
Joe.

Lambert and Joe had covered the DNC in Denver, and were in St Paul to
cover the protests. They both had their cameras with them when
arrested and were clearly doing nothing illegal, just trying to get
the story that corporate media tends to overlook. There have been
several other attacks on journalists there, including a raid on an
indymedia hospitality center, and a raid on the house of a group that
documents police brutality. It goes without saying that there is no
freedom of the press if reporters are jailed for covering the story.

We want our people released without charges, and we want our equipment
back. If you value indymedia and the role of independent journalists--
and I know you do, or you wouldn't be on our announcement list--then
please take some or all of the following actions to secure the timely
release of these PepperSpray videographers.

If you are in the St Paul area or can ask those you know who are in
that area, please join the 24 hour vigil at the Ramsey County Jail,
425 Grove St., St Paul (24 hour vigil)

Please call some or all of the following numbers, demanding that our
reporters be freed:

Chris Coleman, St. Paul Mayor: 651.266.8510
or Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman's office at 651-266-8535
Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0)
Ramsey County Sheriff: 651.487.5149

Here are the names and numbers of St Paul City Council people to call
as well:
Melvin Carter - Ward 1 - 651- 266-8610
Dan Thune - Ward 2 - 651-266-8620
Pat Harris - Ward 3 - 651-266-8630
Russ Stark - Ward 4 - 651-26-8640
Lee Helgen - Ward 5 - 651-266-8520
Dan Bostrom - Ward 6 - 651-266-8660
Cathy Lantree - Ward 7 - 651-266-8670

PepperSpray Productions is an all-volunteer independent media
collective based in Seattle, WA. Among other things, we produce a
weekly access TV show called "Indymedia Presents" which airs on 20
channels, from Seattle to New York, including in St. Paul and
Minneapolis.

For more info about our work, we invite you to visit our website:
www.peppersprayproductions.org

Thanks,

Randy Rowland
PepperSpray Productions

if you really don't want to get emails from us, reply to this email
with your request and we'll take you off our list. You are on the list
because you signed up for it, or got one of our videos. Typically we
only use this list to announce occasional screenings or releases of
major DVDs. If you would like to get a weekly update email about what
is on each episode of "Indymedia Presents", you may also email us wih
that request.


Franklin López
Director/Producer
subMedia
http://submedia.tv
US 773.986.6869
Canada 604.630.2441



________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: 
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40archives.econ.utah.edu