ABC News reporter arrested for taking video of Democrats and donors in Denver.

[Donkey®]

Originally Posted by JaJae

He wasn't arrested because of what he was reporting on. He was arrested for disrupting a business and ignoring police orders. There is a big difference. Obviously America isn't perfect, but our laws don't require police to arrest people for reporting certain issues or speaking out politically. And this man will have the ability to protest his arrest, the police department and the government.

So while mistakes can happen in the US and our system isn't perfect it's a hell of a lot different than China.

Uh huh...so when I said about the China incident "he was ignoring a police order to leave the park" you claimed that was impossible. Must be nice to use the excuse you so easily blasted before. Your claim that this type of behavior doesn't happen in the US, I countered with "yes it does". Well guess what? It does.

[Donkey®]

Originally Posted by JaJae

That's exactly right. It is not policy in America to prevent free speech or to report on certain events. And if the reporter was wronged (as it looks as if he was) he has rights in this country. He can protest his government verbally and legally. He can even report it to the media in any way he chooses and the media is free to report the event in any way they deem worthy. There will be no censorship. His voice will be heard. And he will be protected by basic human rights throughout the entire process.

So in China when this crap happens routinely and by order of the government, the person being arrested has no say in the matter. They have no recourse and they have no ability to defend themselves. In America, if a mistake happens they have the freedoms that are missing in China. That is what the entire debate with China was about. Freedom. It seems as if some people are missing the point.

Right...the bottom line is that what happens in China does happen here to some extent. Nobody ever said "it was EXACTLY the same". Reporters get detained, thrown in jail and kept from reporting stories here too...you seem to think that "we don't do it as often" is a valid excuse. It's not.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Right...the bottom line is that what happens in China does happen here to some extent. Nobody ever said "it was EXACTLY the same". Reporters get detained, thrown in jail and kept from reporting stories here too...you seem to think that "we don't do it as often" is a valid excuse. It's not.

He wasn't detained, thrown in jail, etc because of what he was reporting. He was arrested because he disobeyed police orders after a business filed a written complaint on him. While the police may not have handled the situation properly the difference here between China is glaring.

In China it is mandated that the police must arrest people speaking out for certain causes. In any country you're going to have instances of police overstepping their boundaries, but that is not what happened in China. The wonderful thing about being in America is that the "victim" (if the reporter was) has the ability to speak out, defend himself and ultimately seek damages. In China, their lack of human rights prevents anything of the sort.

And again, the person wasn't arrested for reporting on something. He was arrested for disrupting the business in some way which resulted in a written complaint and then he disobeyed a police order. He can have his day in court to see if he was entitled to be doing what he was doing. But I know in my state it is illegal to disrupt a business. There is also a dispute as to whether or not sidewalk he was standing on was actually owned by the business or city property. The police are saying that the Hotel actually owns the property he was on when they filed for a complaint to have him removed. One article I read said the person who shoved him out into traffic was a security guard (looked like a police officer to me though). However, when he was ultimately arrested for refusing a lawful order by a police officer (doesn't seem to be on tape) he was grabbed by the neck. I don't think that was appropriate.

Jamie Glennon, a spokeswoman for Denver's Joint Information Center, said Eslocker "was advised numerous times by the police before he was apprehended to stop blocking the sidewalk and entryway to the hotel."

But this is illegal. And should be illegal. If the hotel staff asks you to move you should move. And if you refuse to the point where they are forced to call the police and sign a complaint and then you ignore the police officer's orders when he comes out to diffuse the situation you deserve to be arrested. This isn't a case about free speech. This is a case about a reporter who thinks they can break the law because they have a video camera or because they have they believe freedom of press allows them to do whatever they want with impunity. He had the right to discuss or report on whatever he wanted so long as he wasn't blocking the entrance to a business or trespassing while doing it. He apparently couldn't do that and wouldn't listen to police officers who tried to get him to comply with the law numerous times before arresting him.

[Donkey®]

Originally Posted by JaJae

<SNIP>

In the Chinese story, the reporter failed to listen to the police giving him orders to leave the area. That's against the law here as well. In the Chinese story, the guy wasn't even arrested or charged with anything...he was detained briefly and released. Seems like the Chinese were a little nicer than our police.