Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Journalists Arrested in USA and Africa

The FreePress report that police in St. Paul arrested several journalists yesterday, including Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and an AP photographer as they were covering protests of the Republican National Convention Stop the Arrests of Journalists in the USA. Sign the Letter. And earlier this weekend, police raided a meeting of the video journalists' group I-Witness.



ABC News reporter arrested


A similar situation has been reported by Mohamed Keita in Senegal. "Senegal, once considered a haven of press freedom in Africa, has seen an unusual level of venomous rhetoric against the independent media, fueled by Senghor and President Abdoulaye Wade, once an ally of the press. Several independent Senegalese journalists have told CPJ that this rhetoric from the highest levels of government encourages attacks and suggests that there will be impunity for those threatening the press, including security forces, government supporters, and members of the politically influential Mourides Muslim brotherhood."