List of Journalists Arrested at the RNC
Posted on September 10.2008 by Josh Stearns
During and before the Republican National Convention police in St. Paul arrested numerous journalists, including Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and her staff, members of a number of independent video groups, an AP photographer and staff from local broadcast stations and newspapers around St. Paul.
Arresting and detaining journalists for doing their jobs is a gross violation of free speech and freedom of the press. Journalists must be free to do their jobs without intimidation. On September 5th, local citizens delivered more than 60,000 letters to St. Paul City Hall calling on Mayor Chris Coleman and local law enforcement officials to drop all charges against journalists arrested while covering protests outside the Republican National Convention.
Below we have begun collecting names of journalists who were charged and links to news reports about their arrests. This is a growing list. If you have information about a journalist who is not listed here please email Josh Stearns at jstearns@freepress.net.
Name | Outlet | Arrested | Charge |
Sharif Abdel Kouddous | Democracy Now! | Sept 1 and Sept 4 | Suspicion of felony riot and unlawful assembly |
Nicole Salazar | Democracy Now! | Sept 1 | Suspicion of felony riot |
Amy Goodman | Democracy Now! | Sept 1 | Obstruction of a legal process and interference with a peace officer. |
Matt Rourke | Associated Press | Sept 1 | Gross misdemeanor riot charge |
Edward Matthews | Univ. of Kentucky (journalism student) | Sept 1 | Riot charge |
Britney McIntosh | Univ. of Kentuky (journalism student) | Sept 1 | Riot charge |
Jim Winn | Univ. of Kentuky (journalism advisor) | Sept 1 | Riot charge |
Lambert Rochfort | PepperSpray Productions | Sept 3 | Held without charge |
Joe LaSac | PepperSpray Productions | Sept 3 | Held without charge |
Stephen Maturen | Minnesota Daily | Sept 4 | Peppersprayed and ziptied – only held momentarily. |
Jonathan Malat | KARE 11 | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Tom Aviles | WCCO | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Amy Forliti | Associated Press | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Jon Krawczynski | Associated Press | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Dean Treftz | U-Wire (national college wire service) | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Jeff Schorfheide | Badger-Herald | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Matt Snyders | University of Iowa / former reporter for Daily Iowan | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Christopher Patton | Daily Iowan | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Rick Rowley | Big Noise Films | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Jon Wise | MyFox | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Alice Kathloff | MyFox | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Art Hughes | Public News Service | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Jerry Snook | Westwood One | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Ben Garvin | St. Paul Pioneer Press | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Jason Nicholas | New York Post | Sept 1 | Unlawful assembly and obstructing the legal process |
Wendy Binion | Portland IndyMedia | Sept 2 | Felony conspiracy to riot |
Geraldine Cahill | The Real News | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Ania Smolenskaia | The Real News | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Suzanne Hughes | The Uptake | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Ted Johnson | Variety | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Alice Kalthoff | MyFoxdfw.com | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
John P Wise | MyFox | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Eileen Clancy | I-Witness Video | August 26 | Unknown |
Anita Braithwaite | Glass Bead Video Collective | August 26 | Unknown |
Olivia Katz | Glass Bead Video Collective | August 26 | Unknown |
Nick Brooks | Downtown Express | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly and interfering with legal process |
Sam Stoker | Association of Alternative Newsweeklies | Sept 4 | Unlawful assembly |
Paul Demko | Minnesota Independent | ? | Unknown |
Emily Forman | I-Witness video group | ? | Unknown |
Malisa Jahn | I-Witness video group | ? | Unknown |
Elizabeth Press | Democracy Now! | ? | Unknown |
Sheila Regan | Twin Cities Daily Planet | ? | Unknown |
Seth Rowe | Sun Newspapers | ? | Unknown |
Mark Skinner | University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebel Yell reporter | ? | Unknown |
Vlad Teichberg | Glass Bead Video Collective | ? | Unknown |
Nathan Weber | Chicago Freelance Photographer | ? | Unknown |
Tony Webster | Twin Cities Independent Media | ? | Unknown |
Alex Lilly | Portland Indymedia | ? | Unknown |
Charlie B | MTV Think blogger | ? | Unknown |
Andy Birkey | Minnesota Independent | ? | Unknown |
Matt Nelson | University of Iowa Photojournalism student | ? | Unknown |
Mark Ovaska | Rochester freelance photographer | ? | Unknown |
Chad Davis | Freelance Photographer | ? | Unknown |
Dawn Zuppelli | Rochester IndyMedia | ? | Unknown |