Free riot point codes 2017 free#
Being close to the action should not make someone subject to arrest, and President Trump's oft-stated hostility to a free press raises reasonable concerns that reporters could face collective punishment for getting "too close" to a story, so to speak.Īt the same time, police have an obligation to protect public safety and quell riots. Journalists need to be able to cover protests and they can't adequately report on them from a distance. One journalist who was not charged with any crime was Natasha Lennard, who penned a popular article for The Nation wherein she writes about how she actively participated in the "anti-capitalist, anti-fascist bloc" which rejected "polite protest" in favor of tactics such as "human blockades, smash corporate windows, trash-can fires, burning limousine, "Make America Great Again" caps reduced to ashes," and of course, sucker-punching the loathsome alt-right leader Richard Spencer. Cops encircled crowd when I couldn't see arresting everyone /bL2ulgv9DR Here is the flash grenade they used that blinded me and left my ears ringing. The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that "Pepper spray and other control devices were used to control the criminal actors and protect persons and property." Rubenstein says he showed his press credentials and camera to police, but he was arrested as part of the sweep anyway. Rubenstein's Twitter feed shows that he was trailing black bloc demonstrators who at various points in the day were lighting fires, breaking windows, blocking Trump supporters from moving freely, and occasionally throwing punches. A spokesman for Vocativ said in a statement that Engel's arrest is "an affront to the First Amendment and journalistic freedom" and that they will help Engel fight the "unfounded and outrageous charge." That last part is important, because under the DC criminal code, when property damage exceeds $5,000, the most serious rioting charges are applied. The damaged was determined to excess $5,000.00." "The crowd was observed braking windows, lighting fires, vandalizing police vehicles, burned a limousine, and other acts of violence. "The crowd was observed enticing a riot by organizing, promoting, encouraging, and participating in acts of violence in furtherance of the riot," the police narrative said. last Friday.Īccording to The Guardian, Engels' arrest report reads in part: Two journalists covering the protests coinciding with Donald Trump's inauguration have been charged with felony rioting, charges that could land them 10 years in prison and up to a $25,000 fine.Įvan Engel, a senior producer for Vocativ, and Alexander Rubenstein of RT America were among numerous arrests made at a large gathering of protesters near the intersection of 12th Street and L Street in Washington, D.C.
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