Only one to come out of this unscathed
So today was rather eventful. 2 marches, countless police officers and protestors, 2 Daily Kent Stater reporters in police custody.
Earlier today there was a march that started outside the World Trade Center site. This was supposed to be a march to Madison Square Garden where a "die-in" would take place. This is where demonstrators would drop to the ground and pretend to be dead, sometimes representing others who have died. The march started from the WTC site and police stopped it about 3/4 of a block later. They blocked off the road and let certain media professionals into the scene to photograph and report. Others, though, they kept outside and did not allow entry based on their press passes. They were NOT recognizing all media badges like they said they would in an interview with the National Press Photographer's Association. I was livid. So were Beth and Nick. It was a blatent lie.
We left the useless struggle, focusing our energy on the growing mass of people at Union Square. The mood from two days ago had faded from facilitating to relatively bitter and stifiling. They arrested the WTC marchers and then moved to surround Union Square. Overall, the A31 streetparty (see a31.org) happened at Union Square, not MSG. Cops swarmed and blocked the march. I jumped out just as the dreaded orange fencing came in to corral the detainees. Nick and Beth were in the thick of it all and got stuck. Of course their press passes got them nowhere, but the TV guys were let out.
It looks as if were spending another day in NYC, since I'm the only one left, I've got to bail them out. I'd hate to think what would happen if we all got arrested. I can somewhat relate to those anti-police demonstrators. It's not the fact that they are authority figures, its the fact that they lied and didnt even try to accommodate the press, or even be friendly to us.
When I got to the hotel I dropped my photos in the system and went to the bar for a drink. A nice guy named Dave from Boston bought me a shot and let me bum a smoke. We talked for about an hour about what was what and how the RNC runs. He brought up the interesting notion that Secret Service and general high ranking police usually act the same, like they're runing off the same CPU.I don't know if I agree, but it is true that they act like every morman I've ever known. oh well.
Good luck to Nick and Beth, if you're reading this Nick, your mother called.
signing off
-Pat
a free man
posted by Nick | 2:46 AM
17 Comments:
I'm really psyched about the convergence coverage you guys have undertaken there...but this is over the top. I can only hope that Nick and Beth have joined up with the protesters to sing a stirring rendition of "We Shall Overcome" in an NYC jail cell. I'd bail ya'll out myself if I could, but I'll have to lend support my own way from Milwaukee (aka: Pouring one out for the brothas that ain't here).
-MandyJ
Well Nick, I hope you get at least one darn good story out of all of this. I think you guys earned a stripe, and maybe a balloon with your name on it!
Looks like Nick and Beth forgot their "Get out of Jail Free" cards.
To Beth: I love you and am very proud of how hard you've all worked this week. CALL YOUR MOM AS SOON AS YOU GET OUT OF THE POKIE.
Worried sick but very proud!
Signed,
Beth's Mom
Tramps like us, baby we were born to run.
Pat: mom's worried, have you spoken to her? You should call. I'm glad you weren't arrested, keep the photos coming and keep dodging that orange fence.
And... Mormons? WTF?
-=JJ=-
Nick, I kept telling everyone that you are living your dream but I kind of think jail wasn't included.
I am glad you two weren't hurt, and now Nick.....WRITE that great story!!!!!!!!! We are all with you 100% and I can now say I am the proud mom of the journalist that went to jail.
GO GET EM'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nick's mom
(Many thanks to Pat for getting the heck out of there so he could bail my kid & Beth out of jail, and for also talking to me when I called. And to Lori for reasuring a slightly worried mom. Nick....I hope to hear from you soon. Somehow I think it has only just begun...lol)
When you guys write a first-person story for the Daily Stater on all this, it will be the best-read story of the semester.
Keep us posted if I can help. I've got a daughter in school in New York and a friend (actually a lawyer, but a Broadway lawyer) who can help.
It certainly will be a week you remember all of your lives.
carl
I just heard from Beth and things are VERY BAD. The conditions she is being held in are awful. She is STILL IN JAIL! Last night she was held in an old warehouse/hanger and held in cages. The building was run down and the floor was covered with oil and anti-freeze. They screemed for help all nite and were ignored. She said there were at least 100 people in the cages that resembled large dog cages.
This afternoon she was moved to a jail cell. She doesn't know where and no one will tell her. They were then fed rotten food and people are getting sick.
She said it will be at least 10 more hours before there is any hope of getting out and needless to say she was in TEARS. Her back hurts, she doesn't have her meds and the last thing she said was she hoped the "Stater" would get them legal counsel to get them out of there.
This is not good. Right now I am not a very happy parent. I have yet to hear anything from anyone at KSU regarding what is being done to get these kids (I assume Nick is still in jail also) out of this hell hole. My emails have gone unanswered.
At least tell us if we need to go get them ourselves.
Beth's mom.
See http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000622926
Big Thank you to Brianne for her help and kind words, and for working so hard to get Beth out of the NYPD Hilton.
Here's what we know so far. Beth should be held at the Manhattan Central Booking station @ 100 Centre St. Manhattan. The phone # is 212-374-3838 it rings busy although the one time I did get through someone picked it up and hung up....hows that for NYPD's finest?
She thinks she is still at least 5 hours from seeing the judge. We hope it will be sooner.
She is in much better spirits then earlier today, although is hungry and tired. I think just hearing a few familiar voices helped her hold it together.
Thanks again to Brianne and everyone at the Stater for your help, and keeping Beth in your thoughts and prayers!
Beth's Mom.
Well Anonymous at 10:16 p.m. wait till you hear what kind of conditions Beth and Nick and ALL the other's arrested had to endure since Tuesday evening. and I think there were more than a handful arrested.
This is The United States of America! NO ONE PERSON should have to tolerate what these people had to.
So I say write Nick....write it all!
Does anyone know anything about Tim Mayer? I'm his mom and haven't been able to contact him. I knew something was up Tuesday. He told me he would stay safe but I am worried and don't know what to do.
Maryan Mayer mayersms@comcast.net
See also
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/politics/ny-nysamavr3947773aug30,0,6415888.story?coll=ny-nycpolitics-headlines
You know Mr or Mrs Anonymous it doesn't really matter how many you show us, the fact of the matter is that NO PERSON should have to go through what those people did. Since I take it that you were not there, and you are pulling up these sites...do you think MAYBE you just might not be getting the whole story? Plus you know some of these bigger newspapers/etc have the pull that gets their reporters and photograhers out.
So other than this...what do you have? Who are you and where are you from?
You have made my point. Not only were DKS staffers pulled into the dragnet, but well-know professionals were also arrested. In America, this should not be happening. But then again, I was there on May 4, 1970, and I shouldn't be surprised. Best of luck to everyone. Please keep posting updates.
Everyone, start calling The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which operates a year-round hotline for reporters needing legal representation, at (212) 850-6122, and get help for these DKS journalists.
And here's a link to The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press which may help.
http://www.rcfp.org/news/documents/rnc2004.pdf
Nick is out of jail and believe me it was not pretty. I talked to him a little bit ago. I think Pat and Nick will be going to CP to wait for Beth.
Check the plain dealer out tomorrow, btw.
~Nick's tired and getting older by the minute mom~
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