RT team detained at Fort Benning

Article

An RT crew, including correspondent Kaelyn Forde and cameraman Jon Conway, has been detained by US police while filming protests near the Fort Benning military base in Georgia.

­They were taken into custody despite complying with the police demand not to come close to the gates of the base. Kaelyn Forde managed to make a call from the prison in Muscogee to which they have been transported. RT is now trying to find out the details of the incident.

Each year human rights activists gather at the gates of Fort Benning, which houses the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Co-operation (former the School of the Americas), demanding its closure. The institute has been training police and military personnel from Latin American countries, many of whom are said to have been allegedly involved in crimes against civil citizens and killings of foreigners.

Police have also detained a dozen protestors on the grounds of taking part in an unauthorized mass protest.

I havent heard anything about this protest, other than on RT.

Are there laws that say citizens cannot protest outside of a military base? The RT team complied with the police by not filming close to the gate, but they still got detained, along with a dozen other protesters.

Unauthorized mass protest? Do people need a permit to protest there???????

edit- RT is Russia Today, a news site

I did a search about the protests and came up with this article.

Police Arrest 22

At least 22 had been booked into the Muscogee County Jail by 8 p.m. Saturday, Muscogee County Sheriff John T. Darr said. Their charges were not available, but authorities said most appeared likely to be charged with failure to disperse or criminal trespassing, both of which are misdemeanor offenses.

Among the arrested were at least one reporter and a TV photographer who was detained while filming the arrest of a demonstrator. SOA Watch officials were preparing a statement that said three reporters were arrested from the same foreign news agency, but the Ledger-Enquirer could not verify their affiliation late Saturday.

"It sounded like it was going to be a lot more organized than it was, and it got kind of confusing when the police stepped in before we were told they were going to," said Katie Wineland, 19, a Bluffton University student who attended the events. "I think it's unfortunate that people who are trying to voice their opinions nonviolently would need to be arrested, but that's just because I support the (SOA Watch) cause."

The police captain said the crowd was around 4,700.

Tristan Call, a Vanderbilt University student, said his partner was standing beside him and was arrested while holding a blue Puppetista.
"We all know the risks that we are taking," he said outside the jail. "I'm very proud of her."

After searching around for a bit more, I found an article (Examiner) that says the 4 journalists were targeted, and 26 people were arrested, insead of 22, what the article above said.

Article

Four targeted journalists were among twenty-six people arrested today as thousands of human rights defenders converged at Fort Benning gates for the 20th Anniversary of the November Vigil to Close the School of the Americas, the U.S. military training school dedicated to teaching new terrorists to commit war crimes: torture, disappearing and assassinating.

Nonviolent civil disobedience action at Fort Benning gates was followed later Saturday by indiscriminate arrests and targeting of journalists for filming the police misconduct according to SOA Watch's Hendrik Voss.

Columbus Police arrested the journalists, including the TV news crew from Russia Today America, and unrelated bystanders.

When the rally participants tried leaving the vigil area, police blocked off all exit points.The police blockade was at the corner of Torch Hill Road and Ft. Bennning Road.

"After a few minutes, the police allowed people to leave on the sidewalk, only to follow them, indiscriminately arresting people who had neither committed any crimes nor engaged in civil disobedience," stated Voss.

Im not sure if this article is 100% accurate, since Ive heard some things about the Examiner. If all of what the article says is true, then this looks like another step to stopping free-speech.

Im hoping RT will have a more in-depth story soon, since it was their journalists that were arrested.

Heres the youtube video that is on the Examiner article.



They say it is the school of assasination, torture, and rape.

Edit - Heres an ATS thread from November 20th about the School of Americas Thread

What an utter crock of SH%T! Free country my left toe! You can now be arrested (aka harassed) for taking part in a peaceful protest on public property. This is absolutely infuriating! The Columbus PD or whoever did the arresting should be sued for their part in this. Truthfully they should get much worse. This is disgusting. I am ashamed of what has become of our once great nation.

I still love America but America is not the government. They are the most crooked, murderous, organized criminal entity in the history of mankind. I mean they are responsible for more killing, imprisoning, and oppressing it seems than anyone in history!

When is enough, enough people?

reply to post by Redwookieaz


Agreed!
When the government disallows non-violent protests what alternative do they leave us?
The answer is obvious.
If the sleeping giant awakens there will be little mercy for those who repress the people.
Their arrogance is only exceeded by their stupidity.

reply to post by buni11687
I have lived on military bases for the last 22 years and they basically make their own rules and regulations as per the Generals wishes.Although I have never lived at Fort Benning, (Most bases are pretty much alike)But I do know the bases are all self contained,like a city within itself and abide laws that are much stricter than laws on the outside.

Looks like the police have released the RT team.

Article

An RT crew, including correspondent Kaelyn Forde and cameraman Jon Conway, has been released after detention by US police while filming protests near the Fort Benning military base in Georgia.

In the footage she can be seen yelling, “We are press, why are you arresting me?”

The RT correspondents, as well as the demonstrators, were charged with insubordination to the authorities, taking part in unlawful assembly and failure to disperse.

Activists from a protest movement claim that this year's crowd dispersal was the toughest and most irrational. One of the organizers of the rally, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that it was done on purpose in order to intimidate the protestors, with the message that, if the government can take such rough measures against the press, it can behave even worse to the activists.

There is a video of the team being arrested on the link. Im trying to figure out how to post it here.

Edit - Heres a video from youtube, with some of the same footage from the links video, but the article's video is more in-depth.

Very interesting take on the situation. Just another rip in our Constitution.
Death by a thousand cuts, so to speak.

latest report on this incident.

rt.com...

its really disturbing to see news like this on how the U.S. is falling down. Its very rapidily heading towards fascism.