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CNN reporter arrested live on air while covering Minneapolis protests [video]

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Re: CNN reporter arrested live on air while covering Minneapolis protests [video]

#261

Post by technothrasher »

sowbug wrote: post #61
tehwebguy wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Instructions from some random cop are not laws

In my state, one must comply with any order from a police officer who is in uniform and acting in the performance of his or her duties. This is a law with criminal consequences.

I don't know which state you're in, but all the state statutes I've seen saying that you must follow a police order use the words "lawful order" in the text. Also many of them have limited domain such as "while on a public road" or "during a civil disturbance".

In the "refuse to move on after police asked you to" scenario here, the NYC case "People v. Galpern" is often used as precedent. In that case the defendant was found guilty simply because he was, in the officer's view, obstructing the sidewalk. He was not otherwise disturbing the peace. From this case, the courts tend to side on the judgement of the arresting officer unless there are extreme circumstances.

Re: CNN reporter arrested live on air while covering Minneapolis protests [video]

#262

Post by curiousgeorgio »

Context is huge in cases like this, and I still haven't seen a video showing the beginning of the reporters' confrontation[1]. Does anyone have a link to a video that shows what happened prior to the videos that are being widely publicized?

[1] This one shows a bit more at the beginning, making it look like the crew had already been asked at least a few times to move: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvbXWAHad-4

Re: CNN reporter arrested live on air while covering Minneapolis protests [video]

#263

Post by elil17 »

corrupt_measure wrote: post #241
elil17 wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually they had been filming continuously, and they had been previously told by police to stand where they were standing, and they had received no new instructions from the police since then, and there was an all-white group of reporters standing in a similar position on the other side of the police who did not get arrested. I understand the desire to come up with an explanation for what happened, I really do, but…

While it may be tempting to jump to a racial interpretation of the arrest, it appears that the CNN reporters were just standing in the wrong place and in the chaos of the moment were arrested.

I hope that anyone seeing this situation and thinking, “I’m not sure how race plays into this,” will go back and learn some more about the history of race in America. I think a good starting place is the podcast “1619” which does a really good job investigating where racial problems in America came from.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/podcasts/1619-podcast.htm...

Perhaps it’s naïve of me to think people will want to learn about what it really means to be Black in America. But I think if you really listen to what history is saying and really listen to what Black people are experiencing right now it will change how you think about events like this.

Re: CNN reporter arrested live on air while covering Minneapolis protests [video]

#264

Post by corrupt_measure »

wtallis wrote: post #253
corrupt_measure wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While it may be tempting to jump to a racial interpretation of the arrest, it appears that the CNN reporters were just standing in the wrong place and in the chaos of the moment were arrested.

> and in the chaos of the moment were arrested What chaos? The scene shown in the video looks really calm, with one protester, several reporters, and a very large number of police standing around apparently doing nothing more than looking intimidating at that moment.

Perhaps chaos isn't the best word. Hightened tension is more appropriate.

Re: CNN reporter arrested live on air while covering Minneapolis protests [video]

#265

Post by couchand »

curiousgeorgio wrote: post #262

Context is huge in cases like this, and I still haven't seen a video showing the beginning of the reporters' confrontation[1]. Does anyone have a link to a video that shows what happened prior to the videos that are being widely publicized? [1] This one shows a bit more at the beginning, making it look like the crew had already been asked at least a few times to move: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvbXWAHad-4

You're right, context is huge. The area had already been cleared of protesters. There was no imminent threat of any kind. The crew of a national news organization showed their valid credentials.

There is absolutely no excuse for this.

Re: CNN reporter arrested live on air while covering Minneapolis protests [video]

#266

Post by monocasa »

bargl wrote: post #257
monocasa wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Cities can cut jobs, fire police They can, but they don't because it would be political suicide.

https://www.wtae.com/article/police-department-shuts-down-af... Can and does. I'm not saying this is indicative of what frequently happens. But there can be real consequences for the police officers based on lawsuits. I also recognize this was not being pushed down from the city. My statement was an example of how police departments shutting down affect police and how that can happen. I won't argue that police are ap…

The closure of a two man police department when both of them got caught at the same time isn't really a great example.

In a larger department, neither would have lost their jobs, and the larger insurance would have handled it.

Re: CNN reporter arrested live on air while covering Minneapolis protests [video]

#267

Post by corrupt_measure »

elil17 wrote: post #263
corrupt_measure wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While it may be tempting to jump to a racial interpretation of the arrest, it appears that the CNN reporters were just standing in the wrong place and in the chaos of the moment were arrested.

I hope that anyone seeing this situation and thinking, “I’m not sure how race plays into this,” will go back and learn some more about the history of race in America. I think a good starting place is the podcast “1619” which does a really good job investigating where racial problems in America came from. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/podcasts/1619-podcast.htm... Perhaps it’s naïve of me to think people will want…

The entire 1619 Project and its premises have been rejected by many prominent historians, both black and white. The 1776 Project was actually formed by a number of prominent black intellectuals in repudiation of the 1619 Project and I would encourage you to take a look at their work: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1776_Project

Given that the NY Times has been involved in some nasty racist scandals and reporting in recent years, it's difficult to take their 1619 Project as anything more than racist propaganda at this point.

Let's take a step back from how it may feel to be black in America and consider the facts and reality of what it actually means (generalizing of course) to be black in America. The large majority of interracial violence per capita is committed by blacks themselves, blacks are far more likely to have children out of wedlock, are far less likely to graduate from high school, etc.

I care a great deal about the well-being of blacks in America and the best way to actually improve their circumstances is addressing the actual root causes of their inequality, not by blaming external forces that today have relatively little impact on the Black experience.

If more leaders in the progressive movement - like those behind the 1619 project - recognized this, they would do far more good for the black community than they are doing now.

Re: CNN reporter arrested live on air while covering Minneapolis protests [video]

#268

Post by blunte »

creaghpatr wrote: post #73
blunte wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The mayor doesn't have authority over the police.

Who does?

It will depend on the type of police force. In the case of a state police, it would be a combination of the state legislature and state judiciary. The real answer is surely lengthy and complicated, but suffice to say the mayor (thankfully) does not control the police... just as thankfully the president does not control the military.

Re: CNN reporter arrested live on air while covering Minneapolis protests [video]

#269

Post by fzeroracer »

sasasassy wrote: post #130

I don't have an issue with this. Both the police and the reporters were calm and polite. The police told them they had to clear the street and instead of obeying the order they asked to let them know when they were going to actually walk down the street. Since they refused to obey the order they were detained and escorted out of the way. Being a reporter does not give you a free pass to disobey orders, specially duri…

So you're saying if a police officer walks up to you and tells you do to something and you ask 'Why', that's grounds for them arresting you?

Police officers don't have carte blanche to issue orders and force people to comply. We're a nation of laws (supposedly). They were asked to move and they understandably wanted to know where they should move. Then they were arrested.

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