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Whining in Portland
Photo by Beth Nakamura/Oregonian
Photographer Beth Nakamura said an officer shoved her forcefully from behind with a baton early Saturday after police declared a civil disturbance near the Multnomah County Justice Center downtown and attempted to clear hundreds of demonstrators from the area.
Nakamura said she was holding her press ID and camera in her hands above her head and had been following the police orders to leave. When she identified herself as a journalist, the officer responded with an expletive and said he didn’t care, she said.
My best advice to Beth would be she needs to move a little faster. I wonder how many runners have heard that as they were being treated for injuries in Pamplona, Spain.
Since May 29 to the present day, on a nightly basis, police officers in Portland have had to dodge rocks, bottles, and fireworks. They have been working 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
Hours later, on Saturday evening, reporter Zane Sparling said he was shoved into a wall as a phalanx of police in riot gear charged at protesters. In a video, Sparling can be heard telling officers he was a reporter covering the demonstration. An officer who charged at him replies: “I don’t give a (expletive).”
The Mayor promises an investigation, and the ACLU is deeply concerned. The Portland Police Bureau has issued a statement:
Police have claimed that protesters who’ve routinely gathered near a fence erected around the Justice Center have attempted to cut holes in the barrier or have thrown objects at officers on the other side.
While the First Amendment protects a journalist’s fundamental free speech, press and assembly rights, they are required to disperse if ordered by police.
Lt. Tina Jones, a Portland police spokeswoman, echoed these points a video published Sunday night aimed to address the bureau’s recent interactions with members of the media.
“The unlawful orders apply to everyone without exception,” Jones said. “When a civil disturbance, unlawful assembly or riot are declared it’s because criminal activity is occurring and that the area is not safe for anyone.”
Yes, criminal activity is occurring, and the area is not safe for anyone. Especially for journalists that place themselves between police and rioters. Pepper spray, CS, rubber bullets, and a shove in the back are an incentive to pick up the pace, for both journalists, and those who want to perform for their cameras.
Published in Policing
Where is “Cops” when we need it?
I seem to remember that a lot of episodes (maybe in the early days) covered the Multnomah County force.
“Protesters”
I think that journalists used to see themselves as outsiders, reporting the news, digging up the dirty stories and giving us their best shots at the information. They were tough. Now I think they see themselves as an elite, prima donnas, and expect to be treated as such. Right.
Why would anyone sane want to be in Portland? My stepson and his family live in McMinnville, about 50 miles south. That is another country. He builds custom houses and that is Oregon’s “wine country.” His brother-in-law is a diesel mechanic who started fixing winery equipment and now is as busy as he can stand. Both of them running flat out and neither spent a day in college. They have a 50 acre compound with four families.
Today’s and tomorrow’s journalists went to schools like this:
March 30, 2012
That middle school teacher is now the principal of 3000+ students at Berkeley High School. Student participation in demonstrations in Berkeley and surrounding cities is often teacher led and during school hours.
Good grief.
She neglected to mention that Trayvon attempted to purchase cough syrup, the other component in “Purple Drank.”
https://www.verywellmind.com/is-purple-drank-going-down-1123889
The cough syrup, classically, was codeine but Dextromethorphan has been substituted.
For instance, drank can be brewed from over-the-counter cough syrups containing dextromethorphan (DXM), which is similar to the dissociative anesthetics ketamine (Special K) and phencyclidine (PCP).
The 7-11 had put the Dextromethorphan syrup behind the counter and the clerk refused to give Trayvon any.
Man, the things that one learns here . . .
I blame Woodward and Bernstein.
Meanwhile in Santa Monica, CA:
And of course, Mark Felt who used them like a Stradivarius.
My daughter and her family live in Santa Monica. She is the one who called me last week to ask if I have another gun for her.