Police action on journalists at melee is assailed

Some news outlets whose reporters and camera operators were hurt in melee mull legal claims against LAPD.
By Anna Gorman and Stuart Silverstein

One day after several reporters and camera operators were injured while covering an altercation at an immigrant rights rally in MacArthur Park, news organizations condemned the Los Angeles Police Department for its use of batons and riot guns against members of the media, and some said they were considering legal options.

"We are sorry for what happened to our employees and find it unacceptable that they would be abused in that way when they were doing their job," said Alfredo Richard, spokesman for the Spanish-language network Telemundo, of the anchor and the reporter who were hurt during the evening rally.

Other members of the media who were injured included four employees of KVEA-TV Channel 52, a KTTV-TV Channel 11 news reporter who suffered a minor shoulder injury, a camerawoman who has a broken wrist and a reporter for KPCC-FM (89.3) who was bruised by a police baton.

"I was dumbfounded," said the KPCC reporter, Patricia Nazario. "I've covered riots. I've covered chaos. I was never hit or struck or humiliated the way the LAPD violated me yesterday."

Nazario said she was walking away from riot police when she was hit in the back.

Wearing a press pass and holding a microphone, she turned around and told the officer, "Why did you hit me? I'm moving. I'm a reporter," Nazario recalled.

Then the officer hit her on the left leg, she said, knocking her to the ground and sending her cellphone flying.

"I was shocked, trying to scramble to my feet," she said. "At that point, I just started crying…. I just felt totally vulnerable."

Pedro Sevcec was anchoring the evening news for Telemundo when he saw the riot police moving slowly toward the news crews.

A few dozen people had gathered to watch Sevcec do his live broadcast.

"The next thing I heard was the shotguns," he said.

Police knocked over monitors and lights and hit reporters and camera operators with batons, he said.

Sevcec said police hit him three times and pointed a riot gun at his face before pushing him out of the park.

An emergency anchor in Miami took over the broadcast.

"It was so ridiculous," Sevcec said. "They know what a TV camera is. This is not a secret weapon."

Telemundo reporter Carlos Botifoll said he was hit by a baton as he was waiting to go live on the broadcast.

He was carrying a microphone and standing in front of a camera.

"We were obviously reporters," he said. "There could not have been any doubt whatsoever."

Police Chief William J. Bratton, who promised an investigation, said at a news conference Wednesday that a key part of the inquiry into the officers' actions would focus on why they used force against members of the media.

"We should never be engaged in attacking anyone in the media," Bratton said.

The use of force on news crews came despite a legal settlement signed in 2002 calling for the Los Angeles police and city officials to recognize journalists' right to cover public protests even if there is a declaration of unlawful assembly and an order to disperse.

Under the settlement, the city agreed to assign a press liaison to such events and to set up designated media areas.

The pact resolved a lawsuit brought on behalf of seven journalists who said they were assaulted by police officers while covering the 2000 Democratic National Convention in L.A.

Peter Eliasberg, an ACLU lawyer who helped negotiate the settlement, said that based on broadcast news reports he has heard and viewed, "the police went way over the line," using force that "violates the law and the Constitution."

Marc Cooper, associate director of the USC Annenberg Institute for Justice in Journalism, said the video he viewed of the clash led him to believe that the use of force by police was "unjustifiable and excessive."

"From what I saw, it just seemed gratuitous to go after the reporters," Cooper said. "They weren't really in the way, they didn't really pose a threat and, of course, they were trying to do their job."

KPCC-FM News Director Paul Glickman said the LAPD's actions against Nazario, who clearly identified herself as a reporter, raised questions about whether the department's policies and procedures are sufficient to guarantee the safety of reporters.

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globalstomp

Posted: May 06 2007, 9:58 PM

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So now this has become a story of how the media was mistreated? Sure they were mistreated but so were many others that day. Many civilians were shot with the infamous rubber bullets that can kill if the range is close enough and many more were hit with the baton. The media is there to cry foul but do they ever tell us the truth or stand up for the freedom of the press to deliver us an unbiased story? Hell no.

The illegals have no rights and we aren't giving them any until they legally immigrate as many immigrants have done before. But, what the L.A.P.D did on that day is out and out police state actions with total disregard for the law.

The crowd was conducting a peaceful public rally ( the right to peaceful assembly) that was non violent until the police provocateurs showed up to give the police an excuse to move in on the crowd even though I don't agree with the illegals wanting to take back the country bullshit they were clearly set up by police acting as anarchist and turning the demonstration into violence.

If they want rights then they have to immigrate legally. If some of the illegals in the park that day win any lawsuits it will be a sad day for the American legal system because they will be protecting the actions of the illegals while ignoring it's own citizens.

The orders had to come from the top to have that many police suited up with riot gear and yet the officials act like they had no idea this was going to happen. Horse-shit, they planned it and it all went down according to plan. The police chief and Mayor share in the blame for these police actions against civilians and should step down NOW!

L.A.P.D has had a long history of abuse so when are the people going to do something about this? Right after American idol is over? Haven't they seen enough of this corrupt system? Haven't enough innocent civilians been victimized by the Gestapo L.A.P.D?

How to survive

Posted: May 08 2007, 1:42 AM

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142162

The Americans deserve what they are going to get.they have no way of knowing the truth because in their minds, Television is god.The games sitcoms, sports and news thats is what Americans are brainwashed with .They have their own minds, but are afraid to think for themselves.They are also the biggest cowards.For their cowardice all of America is already lost.do you think George Walker Bush is going to accept jail for his crimes,no I don't think so. A new false flag to get as many of you on side as possible is a real possibility . Me I'll be watching, fully supplied and 240 ft. straight down. boyscout syndrome -be prepared. Power>>Tesla + Baghdad .over 2,700 DC Watts connected to A DC to AC converter.Non GM or Monsanto seeds. get winter survival books and summer as well.Good Luck

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