Charges Dropped Against Journalists Arrested at RNC

The St. Paul City Attorney’s Office announced yesterday that it will drop misdemeanor charges against journalists arrested during the Republican National Convention earlier this month.

Democracy Now! reports that the authorities have declined to prosecute host Amy Goodman and her two producers, who were arrested while covering a demonstration. When Goodman objected that she was a credentialed journalist, a Secret Service agent ripped off her credential.

The group Free Press gathered 60,000 signatures protesting the arrest and detention of nearly two dozen working press during the convention.

It’s predictable that the charges are being dropped. It’s unlikely the authorities ever expected to proceed to trial with such frivolous allegations. The purpose of the arrests was simply to harass and intimidate journalists and prevent them from doing their jobs.

There must be a full investigation of police tactics during the RNC.