Menu

Forums



error This forum is not active, and new posts may not be made in it.
Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel Goitizolo

1162
61587 Posts
61587
Peru Lima
Invite Me as a Friend
Top 25 Poster
Person Of The Week
RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?
1/26/2017 4:14:15 PM

Trump Orders 'Immediate' Start to Border Wall, Criminal Deportations

BY BRIDGET JOHNSON JANUARY 25, 2017



Workers raise a taller fence separating the towns of Anapra, Mexico, and Sunland Park, N.M., on Nov. 10, 2016. (AP Photo/Christian Torres)

WASHINGTON -- President Trump signed a pair of executive orders today to start "immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border" -- to be paid by taxpayers first, with reimbursement by Mexico later, the White House said -- and to prioritize removal of illegal immigrants who have been convicted or charged with a criminal offense.

The Department of Homeland Security has been ordered to "take all appropriate steps to immediately plan, design, and construct" the wall "using appropriate materials and technology to most effectively achieve complete operational control," according to the executive order on border security.

DHS is further directed to "identify and, to the extent permitted by law, allocate all sources of Federal funds for the planning, designing, and constructing of a physical wall along the southern border" and "project and develop long-term funding requirements for the wall, including preparing Congressional budget requests for the current and upcoming fiscal years."

A comprehensive border security report is also due to the president within 180 days including "geophysical and topographical aspects of the southern border."

All government agencies are required to report to the State Department "all sources of direct and indirect Federal aid or assistance to the Government of Mexico on an annual basis over the past five years, including all bilateral and multilateral development aid, economic assistance, humanitarian aid, and military aid" within 30 days.

The order did not get into specifics such as using eminent domain on the two-thirds of border miles along land not owned by the federal government.

Appearing at DHS today along with new Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Trump said the wall "will also help Mexico by deterring illegal immigration from Central America and by disrupting violent cartels networks."

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-Md.) shot back in a statement that Trump should listen to Kelly, who said at his confirmation hearing "a physical barrier in and of itself will not do the job."

"The president is launching an effort to waste billions of taxpayer dollars on a costly border wall that will do little to enhance U.S. national security and is opposed by a strong majority of Americans," Cardin said. "I understand the desire to follow up on campaign rhetoric, but candidate Trump was wrong about building a wall on our border with Mexico, and so is President Trump."

A Pew Research survey this month found 39 percent calling the construction of a border wall somewhat or very important, while 59 percent of respondents said the wall was not at all important or not too important.

The other executive order targets illegal immigrants for priority deportation who have not only been committed or charged with a crime, but "committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense," "have engaged in fraud or willful misrepresentation in connection with any official matter or application before a governmental agency," or "have abused any program related to receipt of public benefits."

It also says sanctuary cities "are not eligible to receive Federal grants, except as deemed necessary for law enforcement purposes."

Spicer said relevant agencies would "look at funding streams that are going to these cities of federal monies and figure out how we can defund those streams."

DHS would also "on a weekly basis, make public a comprehensive list of criminal actions committed by aliens and any jurisdiction that ignored or otherwise failed to honor any detainers with respect to such aliens."

For countries that don't want to take in deportees, the order says "the Secretary of State shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law, ensure that diplomatic efforts and negotiations with foreign states include as a condition precedent the acceptance by those foreign states of their nationals who are subject to removal from the United States."

Trump said the order "empowers ICE officers to target and remove those who pose a threat to public safety, calls for the hiring of another 5,000 border patrol officers, calls for the tripling of the number of ICE officers -- you both do an incredible job, but you need help, you need more."

The order does not address the Deferred Action for Childhood Immigrants Program. "We will have further updates on the rest of the president immigration agenda further in the week... the president understands the magnitude of this problem. He's a family man, he understands, he has a huge heart and he understands the significance of this problem," White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at the daily briefing. "But he's going to work through it with his team in a very humane way to make sure that he respects the situation that many of these children are in that were brought here."

Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo arrived in Washington today for previously planned talks with the new administration.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, who has refused to pay for the border wall, said in a Monday speech that Mexico's policy would be one of "neither confrontation nor submission." Opposition politicians in the country were pressuring Peña Nieto to cancel a planned meeting with Trump next week.

Spicer said it was Trump's goal "to get the project started as quickly as possible using existing funds and resources that the department currently has and then to move forward and work with Congress on an appropriation schedule."

"But you know, again, we're here at day three," he said. "It's an issue that he has brought up several times with Congress in terms of making sure that we understand -- that they understand the need to make sure that that's included in the appropriations process."

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox responded:

On the timing coinciding with meetings with Mexican officials, Spicer said, "I don't think we generally telegraph to people who are coming to visit what executive orders we're going to send."


(pjmedia.com)

"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
+1
Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel Goitizolo

1162
61587 Posts
61587
Peru Lima
Invite Me as a Friend
Top 25 Poster
Person Of The Week
RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?
1/26/2017 4:26:15 PM

China Deploys Nuclear ICBM System In “Response To Trump’s Provocative Remarks”

JANUARY 25, 2017


By Jay Syrmopoulos

The Chinese wasted no time responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tough talk regarding the South China Sea by reportedly deploying an advanced Dongfeng-41 ICBM system in Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia.

Xi Jinping’s gave a powerful speech at Davos, in which he essentially laid Chinese claim to the mantle of global neoliberalism, and now the Chinese are moving to project their power – believing that Trump’s “America First” doctrine has created a “superpower vacuum.”

Additionally, on Monday, a senior Chinese diplomat said that Beijing is prepared to “assume a role of world leadership if others step back from that position” after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged in his inaugural address to put “America first.” Many international observers have perceived this move as signaling a U.S. retreat from leading the post-WWII neoliberal alliance.

According to China’s nationalist Global Times, “the Chinese military intentionally revealed the Dongfeng-41 and connected it with the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. They think this is Beijing’s response to Trump’s provocative remarks on China.”

Zero Hedge reports:

The Global Times added that “pictures of China’s Dongfeng-41 ballistic missile were exposed on Chinese mainland websites,” citing reports in “some Hong Kong and Taiwan media.” One of the reports was identified as the Apple Daily, another tabloid-style resource based ot of Hong Kong, according to RT. “It was revealed that the pictures were taken in Heilongjiang Province. Military analysts believe that this is perhaps the second Dongfeng-41 strategic missile brigade and it should be deployed in northeastern China,” the report in the Chinese newspaper notes.

The Dongfeng-41 is a nuclear solid-fuel road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile. With a range of 15,000 kilometers and a payload of 10-12 nuclear warheads, it can target anywhere in the world and is widely considered one of the most advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles. China has yet to reveal the ICBM to the general public during a military parade or any similar event. Most information of the advanced weapon remains highly classified.

The Global Times reports that the images of the nuclear weapons brigade’s deployment were timed to coincide with Trump’s inauguration as a means flexing Chinese muscle in light of the harsh tone taken towards China in comments by Trump and the White House. In fact, China’s foreign ministry today urged the US to “act and speak cautiously” when it comes to the disputed South China Sea to “avoid harming the peace and stability” in the region after comments by White House press secretary Sean Spicer.

Similar Chinese displays of power are a regular occurrence, which are used to demonstrate their military prowess and send a message to large power rivals like the United States. During a visit in December by then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter to the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, deployed in the South China Sea, the Chinese tested a railcar-launched version of the DF-41.

The ICBM system was placed in the Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia. However, Russia welcomed the placement of China’s ICBM next to its border, noting that it did not take the deployment as an indication of threats toward Russia. “The deployment of the DF-41 near Russia’s border should not be read as a threat to Russia,” noted military analyst Konstantin Sivkov in comments to RIA Novosti.

“DF-41 missiles placed near Russia’s border are a smaller threat than if they were placed deeper in the Chinese territory. Such missiles usually have a very large ‘dead zone’ [area within minimal range that cannot be attacked by a weapon],” Sivkov said.

Moscow agreed with Sivkov’s assessment, stating that China is Russia’s “strategic partner in political and economic senses.”

“Certainly, the actions of the Chinese military, if the reports prove correct, the military build-up in China is not perceived as a threat to our country,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The implied threat is a clear one – China will not be bullied – and certainly aimed at the U.S. as a display of Chinese military strength, as noted by the ominous tone in the pro-government and nationalistic Global Times report – a communist party mouthpiece in China:

The US has the world’s most powerful military strength, including the most advanced and powerful nuclear arsenal. But Trump has called for a nuclear arms build-up many times. Even Washington feels that its naval forces and nuclear strength are lacking, so how can China be content with its current nuclear strength when it is viewed by the US as its biggest potential opponent?

The Global Times added, “China’s nuclear capability should be so strong that no country would dare launch a military showdown with China under any circumstance, and such that China can strike back against those militarily provoking it. A military clash with the US is the last thing China wants, but China’s nuclear arsenal must be able to deter the US.”

Essentially, the message is that the US has not paid China’s military the respect it deserves and that the Chinese must now — after realizing the flippant U.S. attitude and lack of respect towards Chinese “core interests” — procure a level of strategic military strength that will force the U.S. to respect it. The Chinese intention is clearly to let the Trump administration know that they will not be pushed around in their own backyard.

The U.S. should proceed cautiously, as the Chinese hold over a trillion dollars in U.S. debt – a weapon likely much more deadly to the U.S. empire than any nuke.

Jay Syrmopoulos writes for TheFreeThoughtProject.com, where this article first appeared.


(activistpost.com)

"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
+1
Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel Goitizolo

1162
61587 Posts
61587
Peru Lima
Invite Me as a Friend
Top 25 Poster
Person Of The Week
RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?
1/26/2017 5:05:11 PM
People were taking Trump seriously. Now they’re starting to take him literally.


In his first interview at the White House on Jan. 25, President Trump discussed his past issues with the media, his executive actions this week and debunked claims of voter fraud and inaugural crowd size with ABC's David Muir. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)


During the campaign, many of Donald Trump’s supporters and even his advisers said they took many of the candidate’s most far-reaching promises seriously but not literally.

Now in his first week at the White House, President Trump is showing that at least some of them were indeed meant literally — putting him at odds not only with critics but also with some members of his own party.

The Trump administration is showing every sign of taking the nation far to the right in an effort to make good on a number of his pledges, including barring refugees and immigrants from some Muslim-majority countries, potentially implementing an ideological test for others, working to build a wall on the border with Mexico and even exploring the possibility of reopening a caustic debate over “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as waterboarding.

“He’s never taken a position that he doesn’t agree with. He’s never taken a position that he doesn’t believe in,” said Sam Nunberg, a former Trump adviser. “The idea that he wasn’t going to be a results-oriented president on the platform he ran on, that he designed, was a complete misnomer.”

The White House said that no one should be surprised that Trump is trying to follow through on his campaign promises, starting with bold, if controversial, executive actions.



President Trump on Jan. 25 vowed to start “immediate construction” of a wall on the Southern border while lawmakers reacted to his unfounded claims about voter fraud. (Bastien Inzaurralde, Jayne Orenstein/The Washington Post)

“The biggest thing is the president is somebody who likes to get things done,” said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the principal deputy White House press secretary. “He’s very much an executive. He’s a builder. He likes to map out a plan and see it all come to fruition. He mapped out a plan to win the presidency, he won, and now he’s implementing the policies he campaigned on. He’s not somebody who sits back and waits for things to happen.”

With an executive action Wednesday, Trump signaled he would start with one of the biggest: the process of constructing the wall with Mexico.

[Tracking Trump’s promises]

At the same time, in attempting to fulfill that promise, Trump is illustrating the limits of his approach. His vow to make Mexico pay for the wall remains unfulfilled, and he has not detailed any new plans to accomplish it.

“We do not need new laws,” Trump said Wednesday, a tacit acknowledgment that Congress had not yet signed on to the proposal. “We will work within the existing system and framework.”

Some congressional Republicans, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), have already reacted with alarm at reports that Trump could seek to reopen CIA “black sites” and revisit banned “enhanced interrogation techniques” that he advocated during the campaign.

The position would also put Trump at odds with his defense secretary, retired Gen. James Mattis, who Trump said last year had lobbied him strenuously in opposition to the interrogation practices.

But Trump appears to be determined to press the issue, telling ABC News in an interview that he “absolutely” believes that waterboarding works.

Some of his initial executive actions have been more symbol than substance.

An executive order aimed at muzzling regulations associated with the Affordable Care Act signed by Trump on Inauguration Day is all but moot until Trump’s Cabinet secretaries are confirmed by the Senate and in their jobs. And his announcement Monday of a withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership was simply the final and expected end for the 12-nation trade deal, which had languished in Congress. Trump also promised Wednesday to stop “sanctuary cities” that decline to help enforce federal immigration laws, but his executive order simply instructs his homeland security secretary to withhold some federal grants from such jurisdictions.

The Trump administration made a show of putting the measures into place, with signing ceremonies staged in the Oval Office and Trump’s visit to the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday.

Trump also moved quickly on other items that have long been on the Republican Party’s wish list, beginning with authorizing federal agencies to ease the regulatory burden of the Affordable Care Act, banning federal funds for nongovernmental organizations that provide or counsel women on abortions, and reauthorizing construction on two controversial oil pipelines.

“He is the new action hero for America,” said Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), who declared himself “very pleased” about Trump’s first five days.

Kelly said he was particularly happy about Trump‘s efforts to clear the way for the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. “People kind of sit back and say, ‘I can’t believe he did it that quickly.’ And other people say, ‘I can’t believe it took that long.’ How many more studies do we have to do?”

But some Republicans said that while Trump is making good on his broad campaign promises, he has undermined his success through his inability to focus on a core message, instead allowing himself to succumb to petty distractions.

[In his first major TV interview as president, Trump is endlessly obsessed with his popularity]

This week, Trump hosted jobs-focused meetings with auto and other business executives and union leaders and arranged for the groups to hold news conferences outside the West Wing to debrief the media, an opportunity to amplify a message about job creation.

But news has been dominated by Trump’s fixation with the crowd size at his inauguration, his press secretary’s airing of grievances against the media and Trump’s unsubstantiated insistence to congressional leaders that millions of illegal votes had been cast in November, costing him the popular vote.

“I thought a lot of what’s happened has actually been good — the meetings with automobile makers, unions and everything else,” said Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). “When you argue over crowd size, when you argue over, you know, voter fraud, things like that, you’re taking your eye off the message and, I think, harming your ability to unify Republicans in the country.”

Trump’s moves have alarmed Democrats, some of whom were cautiously optimistic that they could work with Trump as a self-proclaimed non-ideological dealmaker but who now see him fulfilling their worst fears.

“During the campaign, the president ran against both the Democratic and Republican establishments,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). “But since he was elected he has governed entirely from the hard right, totally ignoring all of the promises he made to working people during the campaign.”

Trump’s week of executive orders, codifying his most contentious campaign positions, has also signaled to Democrats that he does not intend to moderate on much as president.

“I’m particularly concerned with his penchant for pronouncements, his being challenged on those pronouncement and his doubling down and tripling down on them,” said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. “I had very low expectations for what a Trump presidency would be, but he’s proven far worse than I expected.”

Mike DeBonis and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report.


(The Washington Post)

"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
+1
Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel Goitizolo

1162
61587 Posts
61587
Peru Lima
Invite Me as a Friend
Top 25 Poster
Person Of The Week
RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?
1/26/2017 6:48:41 PM



BREAKING: Trump Signs Executive Order
Forcing Continuation of DAPL
& Keystone XL
Jan 24, 2017

By: Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project

In a move that is sure to cause a firestorm of controversy, Donald Trump signed Executive Orders at 11 a.m. EST, advancing the Dakota Access Pipeline as well as the Keystone XL.

According to Reuters, U.S. President Donald Trump signed two executive actions on Tuesday to advance construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, an administration official said, rolling back key Obama administration environmental policies in favor of expanding energy infrastructure.

The entire substance of the executive order was not made immediately clear. However, they will fulfill campaign promises Trump made to approve both pipelines — which have been vehemently opposed by a massive bipartisan sect.

This news comes on the heels of a pipeline spill yesterday, which dumped hundreds of thousands of liters of oil on an aboriginal community in Canada.

As the Free Thought Project has reported, this move by Trump has been premeditated since the election. It is most likely why the company behind DAPL, Energy Transfer Partners, said in December, the denial of an easement necessary to drill under the Missouri River is of no consequence for its plans to complete the project.

According to a statement from Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco Logistics, which is acquiring ETP in a merger:

“As stated all along, ETP and SXL are fully committed to ensuring that this vital project is brought to completion and fully expect to complete construction of the pipeline without any additional rerouting in and around Lake Oahe. Nothing this Administration has done today changes that in any way.”

The incoming administration already stated its support for the project and the courts have already stated twice that it appeared the Corps followed the required process in considering the permit,” said Senator Heidi Heitkamp (ND) in a statement last month.

Heitkamp, incidentally, met with President-Elect Donald Trump last month, to the delight of Morton County Commission Chairman Cody Schulz, who noted:

“I sincerely hope Senator Heitkamp is able to make a direct plea to the new Administration for the help and resources from the federal government that are desperately needed to assist local law enforcement in their efforts to provide public safety, and to expedite a decision on the final easement for the Dakota Access pipeline so that our citizens may return to their normal lives. We have seen nothing but foot-dragging and unhelpful directives from the Obama administration. I trust Senator Heitkamp will use her meeting and her influence to ensure that help is on the way for the people of North Dakota when the President-Elect is sworn in on January 20th.”

It now appears that these plans have made their way to official White House ink — and DAPL will continue as planned.

This executive order by Trump seeks to override the decision by the Army Corps of Engineers who refused to grant permission to extend the Dakota Access pipeline beneath a Missouri River reservoir last month.

As the Free Thought Project has previously reported, the DAPL is set to go over lands which do not belong to the Federal Government as they were usurped by the state’s violation of Native American treaties.

As for TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone pipeline, that was also rejected under former President Barack Obama. However, this move was seen by many as a seeming giveaway to Warren Buffet who holds a quasi-monopoly on train-based oil transportation through the same region.

Once news of the Executive Order broke, TransCanada stock climbed as much as 1.1 percent to C$63.25 at 9:33 a.m. in New York. Energy Transfer Equity LP and Energy Transfer Partners LP climbed as much as 3.3 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively, as reported by Bloomberg.

Donald Trump, prior to being elected to POTUS, had investments in Energy Transfer Partners. According to CNBC, in December, he sold his entire stake in the company as ownership in it could be perceived as a conflict of interest.

CNBC also reported that Energy Transfer Partners’ owner, Kelcy Warren, “gave $100,000 to Trump’s joint fundraising effort with the Republican Party.”

his move will likely be met with more protests and even more police violence.

Image: Source

(themindunleashed.com)

"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
+1
Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel Goitizolo

1162
61587 Posts
61587
Peru Lima
Invite Me as a Friend
Top 25 Poster
Person Of The Week
RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?
1/26/2017 11:13:45 PM

Freedom of Press? 6 Journalists Face 10 Years In Prison For Reporting On DC Unrest

By
Posted on January 26, 2017






Protests and riots over the weekend in response to the inauguration of Donald Trump led to the arrest of more than 200 people — including at least six journalists — who now face the possibility of ten years in prison and fines of up to $25,000.

Random people present at 12th and L Streets were kettled by police after roving bands of rioters smashed store windows, vandalized cars, and set vehicles and trash cans alight on Friday morning.

But, instead of arresting those actually responsible for the rampant destruction, police violently swarmed the trapped group — detaining legal observers and media workers along with protesters and agitators — arresting 230 and charging all who happened to be present with felony rioting.

“These charges are clearly inappropriate, and we are concerned that they could send a chilling message to journalists covering future protests,” asserted Carlos Lauría, senior Americas program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists. “We call on authorities in Washington to drop these charges immediately.”

On Monday, the Guardian reported on the arrests of journalists Evan Engel of Vocativ and Alexander Rubinstein of RT America, but by Tuesday, the outlet learned four additional journalists face the same charges for reporting on the incident.

Shay Horse, an independent photojournalist and activist; Aaron Cantú, a freelance journalist whom CPJ says has written for The Baffler, Truthout, and Al-Jazeera; Matt Hopard, independent journalist and livestreamer; and Jack Keller, a producer for the web documentary series Story of America, are looking at possible lengthy stays behind bars — simply for exercising constitutionally protected rights of a free press.

They deny any wrongdoing.

Police held Keller for more than 36 hours despite telling them he’d been covering and documenting the event as media.

“The way we were treated was an absolute travesty,” he told the Guardian, adding his cellphone has not been returned.

“It is a maddening and frustrating situation,” Keller’s editor, Annabel Park, lamented.“These are people who were there observing and documenting.”

In a statement emailed to CPJ, Vocativ spokeswoman Ellen Davis said, “The arrest, detainment and rioting charge against journalist Evan Engel who was covering the protests for Vocativ are an affront to the First Amendment and journalistic freedom. Vocativ will vigorously contest this unfounded and outrageous charge.”

Davis noted police seized Engel’s phone and camera and have yet to return them, though the department refused to comment on any evidence it may or may not have regarding pending cases.

Corporate media reporters apparently, if unsurprisingly, fared far better than their independent colleagues, as U.S. News reports,

“Some journalists, including three from a local NBC station and one from U.S. News, were allowed ultimately to leave the corralled group. The NBC journalists were told their names had been provided to a lieutenant’s superior after their boss called.”

According to a report by CPJ, “The criminal complaints say that the reporters are charged under section 1322(b) of the D.C. criminal code, which establishes penalties of up to 180 days in prison and a fine of up to $1000. The language in the complaint, however, references rioting that results in bodily harm or more than $5,000 in damage, which can be punished by a maximum of 10 years in jail and fines of up to $25,000. Police spokeswoman Rachel Reid told CPJ in an email she was unable to comment because a lawsuit had been filed in the case.”

Court documents cited by FOX News allegedly tallied over $100,000 in total property damage.

Charging six journalists and at least one attorney acting as a legal observer under this section of the code — as among “every person who willfully incited or urged others to engage in the riot” — is an absurd overreach not unnoticed by the legal and media communities.

“What they [the police] can’t do is round up everybody who was there and indiscriminately arrest everybody who happened to be on the block,” asserted Jeffrey Light, a District of Columbia attorney who filed a class-action lawsuit against both aforementioned police departments on behalf of Colorado legal observer and attorney, Benjamin Caraway, over the mass arrest.

Caraway — who had been wearing a green hat to clearly identify himself as a legal observer before he was arrested — is currently the only named party to the class-action suit.

Light said the arrests, themselves, weren’t the only concern about how police handled the situation — officers indiscriminately used batons, ‘sting balls,’ and pepper spray to affect the arrests and throughout the inauguration weekend protests.

D.C. and Park Police frequently sprayed crowds with OC spray — directly hitting journalists, nonviolent protesters, and bystanders, alike — and even shoved media workers to the ground, damaging expensive equipment and interfering with the right to document events as they unfolded.

As the Guardian reports, the National Lawyer’s Guild accuses D.C. metropolitan police of having “indiscriminately targeted people for arrest en masse based on location alone.”

Attorney Mark Goldstone, representing around 50 of those charged with felony rioting, toldFOX News police “basically identified a location that had problems and arrested everyone in that location,” and that,

“They arrested everyone in a single location including reporters, lawyers, law students and non-riotous protesters.”

In fact, journalists did show credentials to officers to explain their presence among those kettled to no avail.

“I was hit in the face with a flash grenade,” Rubinstein told RT of the January 20th incident, “it blinded me for a moment and my ears were ringing for a while…By the time I was done being treated and I could see again, we were encircled by police and I was told that everybody present would be arrested. It doesn’t matter that I’m press.”

Maggie Ellinger-Locke, of the D.C. branch of the National Lawyer’s Guild, explained in a statement the random use of tear gas, mass arrests, and other police actions over the weekend were illegal — but beyond that, have far worse repercussions:

“These illegal acts are clearly designed to chill the speech of protesters engaging in First Amendment activity.”

A police report cited by the Guardian states,

“The crowd was observed enticing a riot by organizing, promoting, encouraging and participating in acts of violence in furtherance of the riot.”

Of course, journalists and legal observers, as well as nonviolent protesters, could not possibly be considered participants or agitators destructive riots — and a crowd this disparate would never act as a single unit.

In fact, the Orwellian mass arrest sans just cause tells of a potential cooling or self-censoring effect on free and independent media — a cynic might say by design.

Keller, the documentarian charged with felony rioting and facing ten years in prison, could have been speaking for the legal observer and five other journalists when he plainly stated,

“I had absolutely nothing to do with the vandalism.”


This article (Freedom of Press? 6 Journalists Face 10 Years In Prison For Reporting On DC Unrest) by Claire Bernish is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author andTheFreeThoughtProject.com.


http://www.trueactivist.com/freedom-of-press-6-journalists-face-10-years-in-prison-for-reporting-on-dc-unrest/

Category:

"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
+1


Mobile Site | Stores | Contact Us | Testimonials | Become an affiliate | FAQ | Privacy | Terms | About Us
Copyright 1998 - 2024, All rights reserved.
facebook
Like us on Facebook!