Journalists targeted by FBI in St. Paul
Mike Whalen and reporters sit, handcuffed, in his backyard. (Photos by Mary Turck)
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According to I-Witness reporter Eileen Clancy, an FBI agent came to Mike Whalen’s house on Iglehart Avenue this morning, looking for an individual who was not present at the time. This afternoon, police broke into the house with guns drawn, detaining Whalen and the journalists for hours as dozens of reporters from all over the country stood outside, kept on the opposite side of the street by police orders. The six people inside the house—and one legal observer who came outside to try to talk to police—were handcuffed during the search of the house.
Legal observer Sarah Coffey answered reporters’ questions in front of the Iglehart residence, as police looked on.
Journalists inside the home included Clancy and Elizabeth Press, a news producer for Democracy Now. Journalists outside included Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now and a camera crew.
Kim, who lives next door, voiced her strong objections to the police proceedings, praising Mike Whalen as “a good neighbor, a very nice neighbor for ten years. He has never caused a problem.” She said anyone should be allowed to protest, though “I’m a Jehovah’s Witness so I don’t give a crap about Republicans or Democrats,” but said that anyone should be allowed to protest.
Eventually, she invited the crowd of journalists into her back yard, where they interviewed Mike Whalen and Eileen Clancy over the back fence, as police watched in obvious, mute discomfort.
“They look through materials and copy materials, but you are not arrested,” said Clancy. “If you sue later, the court thinks it wasn’t a big deal, because you were not held very long.
“They cannot raid a news office without a subpoena – but they did. This is journalists’ work product.”
Police eventually produced a subpoena, similar to the ones that have been used in all of the half-dozen raids during the past 18 hours.
“These are pre-emptive raids,” Clancy insisted. “Police are targeting people who are hear to protect free speech rights.”
Eventually, Amy Goodman and a camera crew climbed over the fence. Police tried to get them to leave, with no success. Police on the scene would make no comment, saying that a public relations officer would talk to reporters They were unable, however, to say who the public relations officer was, or where that person might be found.
In the end, the police released all of the people detained at the Iglehart address.
At the same time that the I-Witness reporters were being detained on Iglehart, police followed, stopped and detained two other I-Witness reporters and a friend as they biked down Marshall Avenue in St. Paul. They searched the trio’s belongings and detained them there until the raid at Iglehart ended.
Video to come
workaround
Comments
Saint Paul PD has
Saint Paul PD has historically been a very professional department, especially when compared to the thumper attitude cultivated within Minneapolis PD.
Based on the facts currently in evidence the raid on Mr. Whalen’s home is inexplicable, inexcusable, and not what one would expect from John Harrington and his Department.
Unlike Bob Fletcher, John Harrington holds an appointed position and is accountable to both the Mayor and the City Council. Questions about this raid and SPPD’s involvement in Fletcher’s West Side escapades need to be investigated by civilian leadership and if found to have been improper appropriate disciplinary action taken against those responsible.
What the heck??!! This is
What the heck??!! This is not okay. Police are not supposed to raid a house full of journalists in our country without giving some sort of probable cause.
Not inexplicable, if you
Not inexplicable, if you understand it as part and parcel of law enforcement’s strategy to disrupt planned, peaceful protest and dissent all along.
The city fathers lied to everyone about allowing lawful, political dissent at the RNC all along.
And of course, the Minnesota Nice folks bought their lies hook, line, and sinker.
This isn’t just about a couple of twenty year old anarchist kids. This preventive detainment is part of the federally orchestrated campaign of intimidation of lawyers, cyber dissidents, and independent media.
An ABC News journalist was arrested in Denver for trying to cover a lobbyist party at a Denver hotel at the DNC.
FBI & Homeland Security personnel were present at some of the raids.
Wake up and smell the pepper spray, people!
The raid
It’s not okay for this to happen. I am going to guess and hope for the best and say the police must have had a thought about something going on illegal. If they can not prove they did, someone at the least needs to be fired. The ACLU needs to look at this one and see exatly WHY the police did what they did.
Mike Walen's past activity.
Finally I have verified a Symbionese Liberation Army “link” to the anarchist protesters detained in St. Paul. An loyal reader of my http://soliah.com noted that Mike Whalen, the owner of the duplex on Inglehart searched in connection with the “RNC Welcoming Committee” was a very close friend of Kathleen Ann Soliah/Sara Jane Olson even before her June 1999 arrest and was a strong member of her local defense effort. To see Mike Walen in handcuffed during this weekend’s search open this link
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/08/30/journalists-targeted-fbi...
To see a June 1999 statement in support of Soliah/Olson click on this link.
http://www.startribune.com/local/16894551.html
Washington and Jefferson
mistreatment of the free press
What now…send those interested in covering legal protest to “re-education centers like in China?
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