North Dakota arrest warrant for Amy Goodman raises fears for press freedom

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

North Dakota arrest warrant for Amy Goodman raises fears for press freedom

The Democracy Now! host has been accused of entering
private property during her reporting on the Native American
protests of an oil pipeline

Sam Levin in San Francisco
Monday 12 September 2016 20.26 BST

North Dakota police have issued an arrest warrant for the Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, who has been reporting on the Native American protests against an oil pipeline, accusing her of entering “private property” to conduct interviews.

The charges have raised concerns about possible free speech violations and press intimidation, since the Morton county sheriff’s office accused the award-winning broadcast journalist after Democracy Now! filmed security guards working for the Dakota access pipeline using dogs and pepper spray on protesters.

“This is an unacceptable violation of freedom of the press,” Goodman said in a statement after police accused her of criminal trespass, a misdemeanor offense.

On 3 September, Goodman reported at the site of the Native American-led protest of a controversial $3.8bn oil pipeline that the Standing Rock Sioux tribe says poses a threat to its water supply and could damage its cultural heritage.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/12/amy-goodman-arrest-warrant-north-dakota-oil-pipeline-protest

[WhiteTara]

1. I think they made a mistake by

taking on Amy. She will chew them up and broadcast it worldwide.

[asiliveandbreathe]

2. Hey Morton county sheriff’s office -

We still have freedom of the press - drumpf ain't president - nor will he be - Amy was doing her job..wsih I could say that for the rest of the so called FREE PRESS...

Amy is a tough woman...more press should have been there....

[uppityperson]

3. It's not just that. She was videotaped vandalizing the equipment.

http://heavy.com/news/2016/09/amy-goodman-arrest-warrant-dakota-access-pipeline-protest-charge-trespassing-democracy-now-reporter-dogs-security-video-stein/

http://heavy.com/news/2016/09/jill-stein-charges-charged-dakota-access-pipeline-video-spraypaint-spray-paint-vandalism-trespassing-green-party-arrest-dogs-photos/

I've friends there who are angry about the vandalizing. They are also angry about the dogs and the whole thing.

But this is not just for trespassing.