AP Exclusive: Ferguson No-Fly Zone Aimed at Media

abcnews.go.com...

The U.S. government agreed to a police request to restrict more than 37 square miles of airspace surrounding Ferguson, Missouri, for 12 days in August for safety, but audio recordings show that local authorities privately acknowledged the purpose was to keep away news helicopters during violent street protests.

On Aug. 12, the morning after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed the first flight restriction, FAA air traffic managers struggled to redefine the flight ban to let commercial flights operate at nearby Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and police helicopters fly through the area — but ban others.

"They finally admitted it really was to keep the media out," said one FAA manager about the St. Louis County Police in a series of recorded telephone conversations obtained by The Associated Press. "But they were a little concerned of, obviously, anything else that could be going on.]

Many posters here obviously suspected the no fly zone was to keep the media out and it appears their suspicions have been confirmed.

This is why every cop should be mic'd and recorded.

Can't allow the public to see the police acting bad now can we? Might prove many people right when they say brutality and their attitudes are out of control.

How much longer can this gang of murderers be protected?

I think it was a good call, the media has been known to make a bad situation even worse then it was before.

Huerta also said that, to the best of the FAA's knowledge, "no media outlets objected to any of the restrictions" during the time they were in effect.

Hmmm.

This "restriction" was part of the script?

Poor Ferguson. We'll all be Ferguson eventually. The police are becoming just like the Gestapo. It's a shame people buy the propaganda that they are just uppity you know whats.

The fascist state grows ever stronger. America suppresses dissension, surveils everyone, and controls the media. I mean really how can anyone not see it. We've taken so many plays right out of the Nazi playbook. We've just perfected the methods. I can't wait to be sent to a death camp down the road. Hire about you guys? Or are you gonna be "Good Germans" ?

a reply to: thesaneone

That's your opinion but I doubt that's why the police wanted the press out. It's not like they were breaking anyone's civil rights doing those protests or anything....

originally posted by: Swills
a reply to: thesaneone

That's your opinion but I doubt that's why the Ferguson police wanted the press out. It's not like they were breaking anyone's civil rights doing those protests or anything....

I know it was my opinion but it's not far from truth.

The media made a bigger issue out of this then needed be, crap like this happens more then we like but why was Ferguson more important to the media?

a reply to: thesaneone

You're kidding yourself if you think the police wanted press out because they may or may not make things worse. You know who makes things worse? The police and the last thing they wanted was to be caught on cam.

If you read the article the PD claimed they wanted a no fly zone because someone shot at a police copter. Turns out it was all just BS to enforce a no fly zone so they won't be caught on camera roughing people up.

It's not like the police have been caught doing bad things during those protests...

originally posted by: Swills
a reply to: thesaneone

You know who makes things worse?

The looters made things worse that's why the cops acted the way they did.

a reply to: thesaneone

It's a show.

The police choose to have only a small amount of accountability and responsibility. The citizens who choose to cause problems have the same problem.

Things won't change until both sides show responsibility for their own actions. Everybody's guilty in one way or another, be it through overreaction or inaction.

originally posted by: Yeahkeepwatchingme
a reply to: thesaneone

It's a show.

The police choose to have only a small amount of accountability and responsibility. The citizens who choose to cause problems have the same problem.

Things won't change until both sides show responsibility for their own actions. Everybody's guilty in one way or another, be it through overreaction or inaction.

Well said I can't disagree.

a reply to: thesaneone

I see you'll defend the police no matter what I point out to you.

The fact is, the police did not restrict media because they were afraid of media hype. They restricted the air space based on a lie to keep them out because the police have a pretty bad track record. They were covering their asses.

Anyway, agree to disagree.

Was it Ferguson police or St. Louis County police that "requested" the no-fly zone?

The big militarized police force that was gassing and bashing crowds was St. Louis County.

a reply to: Swills

I wanna know when "Nothing to hide, nothing to fear" will start applying to the cops? What's good for the goose and all that jazz... Right? :/