Saturday, October 15, 2016

Ivan Stamenkovic — This is Why the Media Is Silent — Award Winning Journalist To Be Jailed For Covering Dakota Pipeline


More news blackout. Another attempt at suppression of a free press.
It’s not the first time that award-winning journalist Amy Goodman has been arrested, and it might not be the last, but the mainstream media correspondent will present herself to the Morton County–Mandan Combined Law Enforcement and Corrections Center at 8:15 a.m. local time (CDT) on Monday for processing.
Goodman is the host of her own television show Democracy Now, and according to the show’s website, Goodman has been charged with criminal trespassing for “filming an attack on Native American-led pipeline protesters” at what is now known as the Dakota Access pipeline.…
Goodman was present on 9/3 and documented the attack, which according to one source, left, “six people, including one child, were injured after being bitten by the security dogs.” According to Steve Sitting Bear, an eyewitness to the attacks, at least 30 people were also pepper-sprayed.

Counter Current News
This is Why the Media Is Silent — Award Winning Journalist To Be Jailed For Covering Dakota Pipeline
Ivan Stamenkovic

More:
A North Dakota prosecutor is seeking to charge Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman for the more serious offense of "rioting" over her filming of Native American protests against the North Dakota pipeline when a number of people were attacked by private security attack dogs.
Originally Goodman said she was charged with trespassing over the incident from September. Now North Dakota State Attorney Ladd Ronald Erickson has filednew "riot" charges.
Goodman said that the charges were changed because they authorities realized they couldn't make the trespassing "stick."…
teleSUR
North Dakota Prosecutor Charges Amy Goodman with Rioting

12 comments:

Ryan Harris said...

It's worse than it appears too. Amy Goodman is holding the Pacifica network together, without her financial backing, they'd go into bankruptcy and have to sell assets, primarily, their airwaves. Which might be the goal here, get the progressive voices out.

Peter Pan said...

It's become routine for the police to assault journalists and destroy their equipment, so it's not clear what rights they think they still have.

Ignacio said...

The deep state apparatus is the ultimate mafiosi dream.

Matt Franko said...

What if a majority of people want the pipeline?

Can she still call her show 'Democracy Now'?

Matt Franko said...

"The 1,179-mile Canada-to-Texas pipeline is backed by 57% of the 1,011 Americans surveyed on Dec. 18-21. Just 28% oppose it, while 15% say they are unsure."

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/15/politics/poll-majority-of-americans-back-keystone-pipeline/


So much for 'Democracy Now!'...

Tom Hickey said...

Headline here a day or two ago in Iowa: "Majority thinks that the Dakota Access pipeline was not properly vetted."

Matt Franko said...

I would bet that you could get a majority in Texas to say that they think oil prices should be higher too... local interests trumping national interests...

That's (supposed to be) why we have democracy...

Tom Hickey said...

The question is whether the rest of the country should be able to force imminent domain in another area to force installation of a something that is potentially toxic and reduces land values.

An example of the tyranny of the majority.

The retort here is, Wait until it is your backyard.

Peter Pan said...

This pipeline is nearly completed with a significant amount of sunk costs. Odds are it will get the final green light. Money talks.

Tom Hickey said...

That's true but that doesn't imply that either protest or exposure is not worthwhile, and why it is important that it is accurately reported. Public opinion does shift and right now it seems that a turning point is imminent. The direction of the turn is still unclear, however. The US is deeply divided on fundamental issues.

Ryan Harris said...

Law and tradition are clear. Government has the deontological moral imperative to promote production. Only secondarily, they create regulations and institutions to address externality and perverse incentives.

A polluted river doesn't mean we stop producing food. Government regulates farming practices and fertilzers to reduce pollution.

If Amy blocked a combine to stop run-off into the mississippi or blocked railways used to transport corn, it would result in the same consequence. So I don't think this claim about corruption is justifiable, the law itself is just as is the calls from land owners for enforcement from trespass.

A vocal minority trying to block the majority under dubious claims to land based on invalid treaties which have been rules invalid over and over, and now they protest on heredity and ancestry at the expense of the majority. Their claims of fears of pollution are merely a pretense because government regulates and reduces those risks to negligible levels.

Calgacus said...

Amy Goodman was acting as a journalist. The prosecution is absurd and unusual, perhaps a publicity stunt. Going by legal tradition, these unsustainable charges will be dropped or thrown out of court.

Maybe we stole the country fair and square from the Indians, but it just isn't serious to think that we didn't steal it.