On March 29th, Dennis Bernstein speaks with Indybay reporter Bradley Stuart Allen, who has a jury trial on May 21st for felony conspiracy, vandalism and trespassing charges over his coverage of the Occupy movement, as well as Ben Rice, who is representing Bradley.

Flashpoints, for March 29, 2012

Dennis Bernstein Interviews Bradley Stuart Allen and Ben Rice on KPFA’s Flashpoints

(12:29 minutes)

Transcript:

DENNIS BERNSTEIN: And you’re listening to Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio. Let me read you a little bit of some independent reporting from Indybay.

Santa Cruz District Attorney Bob Lee has embarked on a full frontal assault against independent media in Santa Cruz by including four regular contributors to the independent news website Indybay.org amongst the eleven people charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors after the occupation of a vacant bank building on November 30th, 2011. District Attorney Lee apparently believes it is his duty to dictate how events such as the occupation of the vacant bank at 75 River Street in Santa Cruz should be reported on by the media, and if he does not approve of the coverage, again this is from Indybay, they’re saying that journalists risk the DA bringing charges against them.

Well, Bradley Stuart Allen knows that the authorities in Santa Cruz are willing to bring charges, because he’s facing felony charges for documenting various actions of Occupy Santa Cruz. And indeed Bradley Stuart Allen joins us from Santa Cruz. Also from Santa Cruz joining us is his attorney, Ben Rice.

I thank both of you for being with us on Flashpoints.

BEN RICE: Well thanks for having us. It’s great to be with you.

DENNIS BERNSTEIN: Thank you so much for joining us. Let me start with you Bradley Stuart Allen. What were you doing? Were you a photographer? And tells us about the kinds of things you were documenting when you got arrested.

BRADLEY ALLEN: Sure, thanks Dennis. I’ve been a journalist, a photojournalist in Santa Cruz, covering a wide-variety of events for over ten years. On November 30th, 2011, I showed up to an announced demonstration that was being held in solidarity with Occupy Santa Cruz. It was announced that it was going to be a picket of banks in downtown Santa Cruz.

And so I showed up to that event as a photojournalist to cover it for Indybay.org. At that demonstration, people initially met at the county courthouse, marched to a Chase bank, held a brief rally, and then marched towards a couple banks in downtown Santa Cruz, which has been the site of previous pickets related to the Occupy Santa Cruz movement.

However as a surprise to the majority of people on that march, people got into this empty bank building and began to occupy it. So I was covering this march, and since the march, people from that march went inside the bank building. I covered that as a breaking news event.

DENNIS BERNSTEIN: And then what happened? The police came.

BRADLEY ALLEN: The police responded, and I took pictures of their response to demonstrators. And then I went home. And I published my photos on Indybay.org. And two months later, I’m facing multiple felonies and multiple misdemeanors as a result of my coverage of this announced demonstration.

DENNIS BERNSTEIN: What did your photographs? What are a some of the images that your photographs depicted? Did it, did they depict police violence? Did they depict protestors?

BRADLEY ALLEN: It’s a sequence of the demonstration, so we have pictures of the march, as well as pictures from inside the bank, such as demonstrators are making signs, signs against the windows, even people inside the bank. Things like this.

Just documenting what’s happening, what’s taking place. Including the police. There was one individual who was arrested outside of the bank, and I documented that arrest as well. Asking the police officers for information as to what happened, and why that person was being arrested.

But in regards to the actual occupation of the building, there were no arrests made for that at the time. This occupation lasted for three and a half days, but no arrests were made at the time.

DENNIS BERNSTEIN: OK, you’re listening to Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio. Let’s bring your attorney into this Bradley Stuart Allen. Let’s ask Ben Rice a little bit more.

Mr. Rice, you’re representing Bradley Stuart Allen. Say a little bit more about exactly what the charges are. What is Mr. Allen being charged with?

BEN RICE: Sure. They filed felony charges against Bradley, and all these individuals actually, for conspiring to trespass, and then do vandalism that amounted to over the threshold amount to make the vandalism a felony. The bank is claiming some $30,000 worth of damages.

So it’s a somewhat unique legal approach by the DA’s office. It’s something that we see sometimes in homicide cases, and gang cases. But they’re saying that anybody that trespassed should have been pretty much put on notice that it was likely that vandalism would occur.

And that’s of course pretty far-fetched in a case like this. If anybody were to participate in an anti-war rally, or any kind of rally, and some nut, or some, you know, well-meaning person who makes a decision to break a window or whatever, that would mean anybody that was participating in that rally or march could be similarly charged.

So we think this is significantly overcharge, particularly against Bradley, given his longstanding work as a photojournalist. We had a lengthy three day preliminary hearing, and put on a lot of evidence about Bradley. He’s got a master’s degree from UCSC, and had expert witnesses testify and talk about his work. And we did that to show that it’s unlikely that he had the specific intent to further some kind of conspiracy here.

Despite that, the judge held Bradley and the other defendant that is a photojournalist; held them to answer on the felony conspiracy and trespass charges. The judge did not hold these two guys to answer for the vandalism. And that means that if that had held up, then they wouldn’t have to go to trial on that.

Well we went to court today for the arraignment, and the District Attorney’s Office has decided to issue those charges again in the criminal information that was filed today. So we’re going to be filling a motion to knock the entire case out, cause we don’t think there’s any evidence, of any significant degree at least, that shows there was a meeting at the minds by Bradley to engage in some kind of conspiracy.

DENNIS BERNSTEIN: Now I understand that, in fact, the situation was photographed or filmed by a local news reporter for the local newspaper in Santa Cruz, and he wasn’t prosecuted.

BEN RICE: That’s correct. And actually there were an awful lot of other people that were identified, not prosecuted, including one of our City Council Members. So it certainly appears to be a decision by the District Attorney, to go after individuals that are not on their A-List, shall we say.

DENNIS BERNSTEIN: Alright, let me bring you, we don’t have a lot of time left, but let me bring you in Bradley Stuart Allen, and let me give you a chance to respond. Do you believe that this is an attempt at intimidating journalists, particularly progressive journalists, from being in there, and keeping an eye on a situation, in the context of Occupy, where we have seen many, many brutalities, and very troubling actions, overreactions by the police?

BRADLEY ALLEN: I definitely think it’s a clear attack on myself, personally, and independent and alternative media specifically. It’s also an attack on all journalists, and all people that depend on information to make informed decisions in their life.

But very specifically, it’s an attack on the Santa Cruz Independent Media Center, which is part of Indybay.org, and yes, alternative journalism. Because they are working hard to control who gets to be deemed a journalist, what stories are appropriate to cover, and how those stories are able to be covered.

DENNIS BERNSTEIN: Would you say that you will have to hesitate now? Facing these kind of felony charges. Or, what happens? Do you go forward, another action happens, do you bring out your camera? What goes on? Have you been slowed, if you will?

BRADLEY ALLEN: I have been slowed down, just because of the practicality of going to court and having to defend myself, and deal with all these charges. So without a doubt, this has been a tremendous impact on my life.

But, at the same time, absolutely, I have been out in the streets with my camera. I will be back in the streets with my camera. I think that’s critical. There was a demonstration at the Wells Fargo bank across from the empty Wells Fargo bank, and that was maybe a week after these charges were first issued. And myself, and my co-defendant, Alex, who’s a photographer with Santa Cruz Indymedia, we were absolutely both out there, taking photographs of the demonstration.

DENNIS BERNSTEIN: Alright, well I want to look at the website. I’m gonna see the work you’ve been doing. I know you’ve been involved in this kind of work for some time. I want to thank you very much, Bradley Stuart Allen, and also Ben Rice, your attorney for bringing us up to speed on this story.

Important story for journalists, I agree with you, all over the country, because we’ve seen a lot of different variations on this theme, really meant to chill-out and sometimes literally, physically beat-down, independent reporting on these crucial issues. So again, please keep us posted. We’re going to watch how this unfolds.

BRADLEY ALLEN: Alright, thanks.

BEN RICE: Thanks for having us.

DENNIS BERNSTEIN: You’re very welcome. You’re listening to Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio.

Flashpoints

Flashpoints is an award-winning daily investigative newsmagazine broadcast on the national Pacifica Radio network. Through original reports and some of the key investigative reporters of our time, Flashpoints goes to the frontlines and to the core of the stories in the areas of government and corporate criminality, human rights, and economic justice. From Baghdad to the US-Mexico border, Palestine to San Francisco, Port-au-Prince to Washington DC, Flashpoints monitors the centers of power as an uncensored platform of independent media.

On the show for March 26th, Chris Burnett of the Los Angeles Independent Media Center and co-host of Indymedia On Air, interviews Santa Cruz Indymedia photojournalist Bradley Stuart Allen, who’s facing two felonies and two misdemeanors, including a felony conspiracy, for publishing photos of an Occupy demonstration.

Indymedia On Air, for March 26, 2012

Chris Burnett Interviews Bradley Stuart Allen on KPFK’s Indymedia On Air

(12:46 minutes)

Transcript:

CHRIS BURNETT: Alright, moving on, we are going to speak with Bradley Stuart Allen.

Bradley Stuart Allen is a photographer, Indymedia volunteer and website developer living in Santa Cruz, California.

Since 2001, Bradley has been contributing coverage to Indymedia websites. Most of that coverage has been of events that took place in the city of Santa Cruz or at the university, University of California at Santa Cruz.

Bradley has also published reports from many other locations such as Miami during the demonstrations against the FTAA, Houston and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and the barricaded streets of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Bradley’s website, which everybody should check out, is called BradleyStuart.net. That’s spelled Bradley, B-R-A-D-L-E-Y. And Stuart is spelled S-T-U-A-R-T .net. So that’s BradleyStuart.net

His website began in June 2005 and serves as an archive of his Indymedia coverage since that time. He also created the site El Enemigo Común, or The Common Enemy. That’s elenemigocomun.net. You can find this information on his website, which I just gave.

His photos have been published around the world; first through the Indymedia network, and then in printed books, newspapers, magazines, posters and flyers.

I’m very happy to have Bradley on the show. We’ve talked before, on Indymedia on Air. And Bradley has been one of, in my opinion, a shining example of what it means to be an independent media producer. And taking advantage of an independent decentralized global network.

Bradley, welcome to Indymedia on Air.

BRADLEY ALLEN: Thanks for having me, Chris.

CHRIS: It’s a pleasure. So let’s just jump into this story. You are being charged with, and I have to bring this up here real quick, but you are being charged with felonies.

BRADLEY: Yeah.

CHRIS: And you’re being charged with, felonies, a conspiracy, and then a felony to trespass. And as a media activist, you were covering an event. And we’ll get into that event. But ultimately what is going to be happening here, on Thursday, March 29th. That’s in this coming Thursday.

You are going to be in front of a judge. And there is going to be a callout for people to participate in calling the Santa Cruz District Attorney by the name of Bob Lee, for the next two days. That’s tomorrow and Wednesday we’re encouraging our listeners to get their pens and papers out, because we’re going to give phone numbers and email addresses out. That you can participate in helping Bradley get off these ridiculous charges, in my opinion, and I think I’m sure in Bradley’s.

So Bradley, why don’t you tell us the story of what happened.

BRADLEY: Sure. As you mentioned, I have a long history, as an Indymedia volunteer, over ten years in Santa Cruz covering all kinds of events, ranging from, you know, art events, environmental events, to, you know, actions that involve police, and their responses to demonstrations.

So, I’ve been covering the Occupy Santa Cruz movement since it began, shortly after the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York began. And, you know, I covered maybe five different Occupy Santa Cruz events, but I’m not a member of Occupy Santa Cruz.

And there was a demonstration on November 30th, 2011. And this was an announced demonstration. It was announced that it was going to be a picket in front of banks. And this is something that had happened previously in Santa Cruz, and so I went down there to cover this demonstration.

People met at the Santa Cruz County Courthouse, and then marched to a Chase bank. And then after a short rally at that Chase bank, people marched towards a Bank of America and a Wells Fargo bank, which is where the majority of people, the large majority of people on the march, you know, believed that people were headed to one of those banks.

But to, you know, most peoples’ surprise, a vacant building, which used to be a bank building, was entered, and the people that were on the march, decided to occupy that building. And so I covered that occupation as a breaking news event.

CHRIS: And as a result of that coverage, you published a number of, I assume published a number of stories and photographs. You are being charged by the District Attorney of Santa Cruz with four counts. One was a felony, a conspiracy to commit a crime. One, which has been dismissed [and subsequently refiled], it’s a felony vandalism charge. And you were charged with two misdemeanors; a trespass by entering and occupying, and a trespass and refusing leave private property.

Now, as a journalist, you’re not the only one involved in this coverage, actually there’s a photojournalist as well. But you. Both of you are being charged. But in this case, you’re still being charged with a felony, a conspiracy to commit a crime. Is that correct?

BRADLEY: That’s correct.

CHRIS: So really what’s happening here is that the DA from Santa Cruz and the court system is charging a media producer, an independent media activist, or independent media creator, with a felony.

BRADLEY: Yeah, that’s correct. Just based on my publishing of photographs onto my personal website, and onto Indybay.org, which is the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center. Like the sister to the Los Angeles Independent Media Center, where readers can go, where listeners can go to find out more information, la.indymedia.org.

CHRIS: Which I should mention that you are actually from LA originally, and now you are in Santa Cruz.

BRADLEY: Yeah, that’s right. I was born and raised in Los Angeles. And I moved to Santa Cruz in the summer of 2000. And the Santa Cruz Independent Media Center got going, in 2001. I wasn’t the founder of that organization, but I’ve been a part of it for a very long time.

CHRIS: So what is your strategy? And so tell us a little bit about what’s coming up on Thursday, and what you would like listeners to do.

BRADLEY: Well, some of the things I want listeners to understand, is that we’re looking at a case of selective prosecution, viewpoint discrimination, and I;m being charged with a conspiracy to make media. But what I talk about selective prosecution, for example, there was a staff photographer for the local newspaper who also shot photographs inside the occupied bank building, yet District Attorney Bob Lee is not pressing charges against that photographer.

So we’re also talking about viewpoint discrimination, because they are trying to say that, I wasn’t a journalist because, for example, my posting on Indymedia didn’t make reference to an interview with a police officer. As if publishing photos and not interviewing a police officer means that it doesn’t as journalism or something.

CHRIS: Right.

BRADLEY: So.

CHRIS: Sorry, go ahead.

BRADLEY: Quickly. What I want listeners to do, is to call Bob Lee, tomorrow and Thursday, to ask Bob Lee to dismiss the charges. His phone number is area code 831-454-2400. Once again, that phone number is 831-454-2400. And just call up Bob Lee and say please drop the charges against Bradley Allen.

CHRIS: Well, you know, and I want to emphasize, I mean, you have a website up describing this situation. So that’s tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday.

If you want to take action in defense of independent media, independent journalists, and Indymedia in general, that exposes, not only…. Bradley’s… the context of this, as someone who is covering the Occupy movement… and they’re being attacked.

So I encourage everybody who’s listening to please write that number down, 831-454-2400. That’s 831-454-2400. You can also email the District Attorney, which is dao@co.santa-cruz.ca.us That’s dao@co.santa-cruz.ca.us

This show will be archived by the way, if you want to go back and get that information, or share it with other people.

This is not the first time that independent media activists have been attacked, in fact killed. It’s a job that we all need, and we should be supporting.

Bradley, what’s your sense, in terms of maybe a couple.. We only have about three minutes left, but I want to get your reaction to the police brutality issues in New York. Do you think that this kind of charges being brought against media activists, and the covering of OWS, is related to a strategy of a crackdown on OWS? How do you see that?

BRADLEY: It does seem like there’s parallels. I know that there’s been over 70 journalists that have been arrested covering the Occupy movement, and it definitely seems like, they do not want stories. That they are working to decided, who gets to be a journalists, how a story gets to be covered, and who gets to cover that story.

So I think it’s very much that, you know, we’re seeing public relations at work, and, you know, that’s why they’re coming after myself as an independent journalist. That’s how I feel. I feel there is connection to what’s happening all around the country.

CHRIS: What the name of the other person who’s been charged as well?

BRADLEY: Well, there’s a total of 11 people that all received the same charges. There’s four regular contributors to the independent news website Indybay.org. The other collective member, of Indybay, besides myself, his name is Alex Darocy.

CHRIS: I want to remind listeners that the website is BradleyStuart.net. That’s Bradley, BRADLEYStuart.net. And Stuart is spelled S-T-U-A-R-T .net, so BradleyStuart.net. Check it out. There’s information there directly related to Bradley’s case.

I encourage listeners who care about independent media, who care about when the state, and District Attorney of Santa Cruz targets journalists for covering these issues, I urge you tomorrow and Wednesday to call that phone number, and just say something simple, which you have an example of by the way.

There’s a, I quote, “Hello my name is _________ and I am a resident of _________ County. Please drop all charges against Bradley Allen on March 29th at his next hearing. Thank you.”

It’s very simple, and the number is 831-454-2400. Bradley, any last words before we have to end the show?

BRADLEY: Just wanted to thank you so much for having me. That this is really a case that is important to stand up for, because this is an attack not only against myself, but like you said, independent media, alternative media, and you know, the free press. Information must be free. So it’s important to stand up, and speak out.

CHRIS: Right on. Bradley, thank you for all your work. I wish you the best on Thursday. I will be making that phone call tomorrow myself. And keep in touch, and let us know what happens.

BRADLEY: Will do. Thank you so much.

CHRIS: Alright Bradley, take care, and thank you for joining us tonight on Indymedia on Air.

BRADLEY: I’d love to do it again. Thanks Chris.

CHRIS: Alright, thanks. Alright, that’s the end of the show. My name’s Chris Burnett. If you want to email me, it’s chris@indymedia.org, I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A .org

Thanks for listening.

KPFK

KPFK (90.7 FM) is a listener-sponsored radio station based in North Hollywood, California, United States, which serves the Greater Los Angeles Area, and also streams 24 hours a day via the Internet. It was the second of five stations in the non-commercial, listener-sponsored Pacifica Radio network.

KPFK began broadcasting in April 1959, twelve years after the Pacifica Foundation was created by pacifist Lewis Hill, and ten years after the network’s flagship station, KPFA, was founded in Berkeley.

With its 110,000 watt main transmitter atop Mount Wilson, KPFK is one of the most powerful FM stations in the western United States. The station can be heard from the California/Mexico border to Santa Barbara to Ridgecrest/China Lake. A second 10-watt translator is licensed in Isla Vista, outside of Santa Barbara. The transmitter for that station is located atop Gibraltar Peak, allowing its broadcast to be heard over a large portion of coastal Santa Barbara County.

On the show for March 26th, Davey D speaks with Indybay reporter Bradley Stuart Allen, who’s looking at conspiracy charges over his coverage of the Occupy movement.

Hard Knock Radio, for March 26, 2012

Davey D Interviews Bradley Stuart Allen on KPFA’s Hard Knock Radio

(22:17 minutes)

Transcript:

DAVEY D: Davey D hanging out with you this afternoon. It is Hard Knock Radio and we wanted to bring to your attention something that seems to be a trend that is existing underneath a lot of peoples’ radar. We’re talking about the criminalization of citizen journalists, of non-mainstream or non-corporate media. Recently we saw a ruling that came down in Illinois that now allows journalists to be penalized for covering the police. Filming them. Recording them. If they are not accredited, they’re using eavesdropping laws to come after them.

And a situation here closer to home, we have Indybay reporter Bradley Stuart, Bradley Stuart Allen out of Santa Cruz, whose looking at conspiracy charges for his coverage of the Occupy movement. We wanted to talk to Bradley, he’s on the phone with us. Bradley welcome to the show. How ya doing?

BRADLEY ALLEN: Doing good, thanks Davey D. How ya doing Hard Knock listeners? I’m a big fan of the show. Thanks for having me on.

DAVEY D: Well let me ask you. Why don’t you familiarize our audience with exactly what is going in your case and then we can start building from there.

BRADLEY: Sure. There was a demonstration that place on November 30, 2011. It was an announced demonstration that was going to be a picket of banks in Santa Cruz, in downtown Santa Cruz, in solidarity with the Occupy Santa Cruz movement.

We’ve seen other demonstrations in Santa Cruz before that have been pickets of banks, so that is what I went out to cover as a photojournalist for Indybay.org. And so at this demonstration people met at the county courthouse, marched to a Chase bank, and then from there they were marching towards, you know, some other banks in downtown Santa Cruz, but as a surprise to the majority of people on the march, people entered this vacant bank building, and began to occupy it. So I covered this as a breaking news story. So that event lasted for three and half days, and ended without any arrests, at all, but then two months later I found out there was a warrant for my arrest, and I was charged with multiple felonies, and multiple misdemeanors.

I’ve had an arraignment where I pled not guilty, and I’ve had a preliminary trial, a three day long preliminary trial. At this point a judge ruled that there wasn’t enough evidence to try me for the felony vandalism, but that there was to try me for the two misdemeanors involving trespassing and a felony conspiracy to promote and encourage trespassing based on my coverage of this breaking news event. That my act of photographing and publishing photos on my website and Indybay.org, the DA argued, was an act to promote and encourage trespassing and that vandalism was a foreseeable outcome and that therefore I should be held responsible for the vandalism, financially as well.

DAVEY D: That’s the voice of Bradley Allen. Bradley your phone is going in and out a little bit so if you might be able to move and get better reception but I think we caught most of what you’re saying and it’s very disturbing.

It’s disturbing on a number of accounts. Many of us, who are reporters, often times risk life and limb, our bodies at great expense to cover the story. Sometimes we go to places where we get arrested. Sometimes, you know, if you’re on a war, there have been journalists who’ve been killed.

When we unearth a story, we don’t always endear people to us, especially if we are reporting fast hard truths. But the name of the game for journalists is to go to where the story is at, cover it, and bring the information to the people, and let everybody else figure out what they may do. In this case you’re covering a march, they occupy a building, that’s what the occupation does, it’s civil disobedience, on may levels. How can you as a journalist not cover that? What did they expect you to do? Walk away? Call the police? You know, not be involved, let the story go somewhere? It sounds like this is a tactic to silence journalists, and then use the laws selectively against people. What’s your thoughts on that?

BRADLEY: Yeah, I’d say that’s exactly what we’re seeing in Santa Cruz. I know that there’s been arrests of other reporters across the country covering the Occupy movement, and that’s chilling. I know that there has been, you know, over 70 reporters around the United States that have been arrested covering the Occupy movement, but I’m not aware of any other reporters such as myself that have had charges filed two months after a demonstration was helD I wasn’t arrested at the scene of the demonstration, I’ve had charges filed, you know, two months after this coverage, so I’m not aware of any other journalist that’s facing a conspiracy charge based solely on their coverage. Based solely on repotting on a breaking news story. So I think it’s a clear, you know, attack in Santa Cruz.

And I’ve been a photojournalist in Santa Cruz, with Santa Cruz Indymedia, for over ten years. I’ve been covering news events for, I mean, you know, controversial events, but a range of events. Art events, environmental events, community events.

DAVEY D: You know, often times, we’ve been on the scenes as journalists, where we do cover and capture activity that could, you know, wind up being in court. There’s a number of people that have caught police brutality incidents. There are people that have caught fights. There are people that have caught car chases, and what have you. Why is it this time, that they put you in this conspiracy thing versus just a journalist who’s covering the story?

BRADLEY: I’m really not sure, why they’ve decided to do that. I mean I feel that it’s, I can, I can speculate, and I feel it’s a direct attack on me, just based on my political affiliations and my media skills.

DAVEY D: Do you feel that this is a test case, if they can get you?

BRADLEY: I do!

DAVEY D: You do.

BRADLEY: I do feel it’s a test case and the judge who was at our preliminary hearing, he said as much, saying that you know, this is a unique case. He hadn’t seen anything like it before. So I very much feel that this is a big test case as to, you know, attacking Indymedia, attacking you know, independent journalists. But it’s an attack on all journalists, you know not just independent and alternative journalists, but I think it’s especially an attack on independent journalists. I think it, that the powers that be, the District Attorney Bob Lee is trying to dictate who gets to be a journalist, which stories get to be covered, and how those stories can be reported on. So I think this is a big test case to come after us like that.

DAVEY D: That’s the voice of Bradley Allen, Bradley Stuart Allen, he’s on the phone line with us, out of Santa Cruz. Bradley let me ask you. I mentioned a few trends that are going on, and one of the trends is to now try to limit the type of coverage that reporters do of the police in Illinois, for example, in trying to use wiretapping and eavesdropping laws on them for recording the police doing their job, even if they are public servants.

We’ve also seen this trend of embedding reporters into the police ranks. We see it in the Army, which makes in my opinion a likelihood of your story being compromised, because if you are dependent upon people who are literally chaperoning you in and out of the scene, that could be problematic in how you ultimately report, or don’t report, on things.

The third trend is trying to separate reporters. There’s an argument that bloggers aren’t really reporters. That there are accredited reporters, you have to go through a certain set of, or meet a certain set of thresholds, which in my opinion often appear to be arbitrary before you can get a sanctioned press-pass, and then they want to say those with press passes are the ones who are often times allowed to be in certain places, behind the rope so to speak, capturing the scene.

Your thoughts on these trends? And we’ll start off with this separation, because that seems to be a sticking point right here where all of a sudden Indybay media is press, but it’s not really press. It isn’t ABC or CNN, and would they have applied those rules to those corporate institutions?

BRADLEY: Part of the DA’s argument as to who can be a journalist, it was said that I wasn’t a journalist because my coverage, which is mostly photographic, had no interviews or attempted, or mentions of an attempted interview with the police department, or representatives with property owners, or with members of the community that may not have been in favor of the group’s conduct.

DAVEY D: Wait, wait a seconD Repeat that. Repeat that again. You said because you didn’t interview the police, you’re not a journalist?

BRADLEY: Right. It was written that, quote their postings contain no interviews or even attempted interviews with representatives from the police, with property owners, or with members of the community who might not have been in favor of the groups conduct end quote. So because my posting on my website doesn’t make a reference of an attempted interview with the police, therefore I’m not a journalist. That’s part of the argument and reasoning, that went in to the arguments against me at the preliminary hearing.

However, after having expert witnesses testify that I am a legit journalist, and that Indybay is a legitimate media source, the DA came back the next day at the preliminary hearing, and argued if you can believe this, she said that, oh it’s true, I am a talented photographer, she said that I’m such a talented photographer, that just the act of showing up to this event and taking photos and publishing them online, meant that I was the propaganda of this undefined organization. That just by covering this event, I was somehow in a criminal conspiracy because I was the propaganda of this organization. So not only are they arguing who can, and who cannot not be a journalist, but once it’s established that I am a journalist, and that Indybay is a credible news source, the argument then has become twisted into, I’m such talented photographer, that the photos I selected were propaganda for this group, and that therefore I should be held responsible for felony conspiracy to commit, to promote, and encourage trespass.

DAVEY D: What is the basis for their definition, of journalism, and what where they basing it on? Wikipedia? Or did they bring in an expert witness, or what?

BRADLEY: They cited a case. They cited a specific case, on, that it’s slipping my mind right now. Obsidian. I’m sorry. It’s called Obsidian. Obsidian Finance, is the case that was citeD And this is a case where, I believe a journalist was doing a report on a ranch, and broke into the ranch by breaking into a lockbox, and trespassed on the property, and then when the police asked this journalist to leave, the journalist complied and left. But that’s really nothing like the situation that I was involved in. I didn’t break any lock box. I didn’t, no police ever said to me, hey leave the property. It’s a different case, but that’s what they were citing as far as the journalist credentials.

DAVEY D: So, are you a member of the Occupy movement? Do they look at you and say, as a member of the Occupy movement, you can’t cover cover that?

BRADLEY: I’m not a member of the Occupy movement. I don’t go to Occupy Santa Cruz meetings, other, you know, all I’ve done is, the first time that they had a gathering in the park, I went there as a photojournalist, and I covered that, and I posted it on Indymedia. So all I’ve done is, cover Occupy events as a photojournalist. But no, I’m not a member of these groups.

DAVEY D: This seems like a very slippery slope, but it’s also setting a bad precedent. What I’ve found as a journalist over the years is that the police departments, many of whom are very media savvy. They have police spokesmen. They have a chain of command in which, you know, who can speak and who can’t speak. And when it’s done, it’s done with a certain type of precision. And in many ways it becomes propaganda. By that meaning, that if I’m on the scene, and I witness something and as a reporter I want to get the immediate reaction, you know. What did you see officer? What was going on? What’s your thoughts? They will clam up and tell me I need to talk to the media spokesperson and I might have to wait around for an hour, maybe two hours, or later that day, before they come up and get their story together and then they basically give me what they want to, want me to project. It doesn’t necessarily give me room to do a lot of questioning, or to show the contradictions into how they gathered their information, you know all those different sorts of things. In other words, you know, I become their mouthpiece.

BRADLEY: That’s been my experience. That’s been my experience as well. When I ask the police on the scene, which I did on November 30th, when there was one individual that was, arrested for some sort of incident, maybe moving a traffic cone or something like that. Somebody was arrested outside the bank on the first day, and I covered that. I ran and I took photos, and I posted them on Indybay. And when I spoke to the officers that were on the scene to say hey. Why was this individual arrested? Their response was, I don’t know, I cant say, or speak to the Public Information Officer. Things like that. And then the Public Information Officer is not available, and things like that.

DAVEY D: Or they might not talk to you until it’s inconvenient for you. What can people do around this situation? How do we stay abreast? And what sort of steps are you asking people to take?

BRADLEY: I have a court date on March 29th. That’s this Thursday. And so we’re asking people to call the District Attorney in Santa Cruz County. His name is Bob Lee. And people can call him on Tuesday and Wednesday, and demand that the charges be dropped against Bradley Allen. The telephone number is 831-454-2400.

DAVEY D: It’s 831 454 2400?

BRADLEY: Yeah, and people can just make those calls on Tuesday and Wednesday, from eight o’clock to five o’clock.

DAVEY D: You know Bradley, Bradley we appreciate you talking to us this afternoon. And I think everybody listening should definitely take a pause, at a date and time when citizen journalism is able to counteract what we are increasingly seeing as corporate propaganda. Stories being covered based upon on advertisement, based upon a desire to get ratings, based upon relationships that corporate outlets have with police departments.

We are seeing something that is very chilling, when you have folks who are un-bought and un-bossed, being told that they are not journalists, because they didn’t want to pick up and go along with the party line. If I may just relate to people, as somebody who is in Bradley’s situation as a journalist, and having over the years worked on both sides of the aisle, I can tell you for fact, that many of the stories that were covered at commercial outlets that I have been a part of, were done so because it was based upon advertisement. We would have a meeting, we’d sit around and we say hey you know, company XY&Z is coming to town and in exchange for advertisements, we are going to give them some ad space, but we are also going to do some additional coverage so maybe the morning team might go out, or a street time might go on, or we are going to an editorial, or some sort of article on them.

These things happen routinely. With the police departments, it’s a very different type of relationship, but very similar in outcome. Meaning that a lot of times, there are major corporate media outlets that would like to have access to a fair, or a festival, or some concert. All these different things that many times fall under the jurisdiction of the police. And there are many stations, who are not favored by the police, and who the police will go around to club venues, and festivals, and tell them do not do any advertisement, or do not have certain radio stations come to your event because of quote unquote, the crowd they may attract.

This is routine. This is pretty common place. And so to see them dip into Indymedia, and the alternative press, so-called alternative press, and try to exercise those dictates, is very scary, very chilling, and something that we should all pause and pay close attention to. I didn’t mean to take too much away from what you are going through, Bradley, but I did want to share that so people get a little bit of understanding of how it works, at least inside some of these corporate institutions that profess to give us the news day in and day out. But with all that being said, are there any last comments that you would like to say for our listeners?

BRADLEY: I think it’s important to point out that there was corporate media inside the building. The local daily newspaper has a staff photographer, who also took photographs inside the building, and they’re published online, to this day, and he’s not facing charges in this situation. So we’re clearly seeing a situation where there is selective prosecution, viewpoint discrimination, and I’m ultimately being charged with a felony: conspiracy to make media.

DAVEY D: We will definitely stay abreast of the case. So again people are being asked to call the District Attorney in Santa Cruz, at 831-454-2400, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Your court hearing is on Thursday. All eyes on Bradley Stuart Allen.

Seems like we have two Bradleys under the gun for exposing the truth; you in Santa Cruz, and another guy by the name of Bradley Manning. You know who’s locked in a dungeon somewhere for giving information so that we could see how, some of the wrongdoings that we are doing, but trying to cover it up. So something to think about.

BRADLEY: Indymedia volunteer Bradley Will was also murdered in Oaxaca, just months after I was in Oaxaca in 2006. There was some confusion as to if that was myself or not. It wasn’t. But all respect to Brad Will, and to all people that are working to get the news out, all people that are under the gun, just for telling the truth and reporting on social movements of our time.

DAVEY D: Thank you, Bradley, and we’ll talk to you real soon.

BRADLEY: Alright, thanks a lot, Davey.

Hard Knock Radio

Hard Knock Radio is 94.1 FM KPFA’s daily drivetime Talk Show for the Hip Hop Generation.

What We Do?

We feature in-depth interviews and profiles with elected officials, community leaders, activists, authors, Hip Hop artists and musicians. We give voice to community concerns and offer a unique forum to explore issues relevant to the Hip Hop/urban community. We’ve covered a variety of subjects like; Hip Hop Appreciation Week, The War on Terrorism, The Prison Industrial Complex, Asian / Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Domestic Violence, Teen Pregnancy and the Middle East Crisis, to name a few.

In this day and age of media consolidation HKR strives to be a voice for the community. We take very seriously, our commitment to give access to community groups and activists who are trying to make a difference and bring about meaningful social change.

The KPFA Evening News (Weekend), for March 18, 2012

KPFA Evening News Speaks with Bradley Stuart Allen

(3:07 minutes)

Transcript:

DAVID LANDAU: A Santa Cruz photojournalist is facing felony and misdemeanor charges arising from his coverage of a building occupation in Santa Cruz last November. Bradley Stuart Allen, a member of the National Press Photographers Association, and an Indymedia contributor, was charged with felony vandalism following his coverage of a three day building occupation by protesters affiliated with Occupy Wall Street.

Late last week, a Santa Cruz judge threw out the vandalism charge [Count 2] after the Photographers Association had filed a brief on Allen’s behalf. But the judge found that enough evidence exists to try Allen and codefendant Alex Darocy on charges of conspiracy and trespass. Speaking with KPFA, Allen read the texts of the charges he now faces.

BRADLEY ALLEN: Count 1, a felony. Conspiracy to commit a crime, in violation of Penal Code Section 182(a)(1).
Count 2, a felony. Felony Vandalism, in violation of Penal Code Section 594(b)(1).
Count 3, a misdemeanor. Trespass by entering and occupying, in violation of Penal Code Section 602(M).
Count 4, a misdemeanor. Trespass and refusing to leave private property, in violation of Penal Code Section 602(O).

DAVID LANDAU: Allen said he hopes to have these charges dismissed at his next court appearance on March 29th. He said he has no doubt that the charges are motivated by hostility toward independent media.

BRADLEY ALLEN: I had no idea that there was going to be an occupied building. I covered this occupation as a breaking news event. And the DA, District Attorney, Bob Lee and Rebekah Webb [Young] are now arguing, that my coverage of the events, alone, and publishing them on my website and Indybay.org, in and of itself, was an act to promote trespass. That my coverage alone of a news event was a conspiracy to promote trespass. So they are now criminalizing media.

I feel that it is crystal clear that I am being attacked for my political affiliations and media skills.

DAVID LANDAU: That is Santa Cruz photojournalist Bradley Stuart Allen who faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges for his coverage of an Occupy protest last November. Santa Cruz District Attorney’s Office could not be reached for comment on his case.

Outro:

And this is KPFA 94.1 Berkeley, KPFB 89.3 Berkeley, or KFCF 88.1 Fresno. Pacifica Radio for Northern and Central California. This program is the Weekend News. I’m Anthony Fest. I’m David Landau.

KPFA 94.1 & Pacifica Radio

KPFA’s Mission:

To promote cultural diversity and pluralistic community expression
To contribute to a lasting understanding between individuals of all nations, races, creeds and colors
To promote freedom of the press and serve as a forum for various viewpoints
To maintain an independent funding base

A Brief History:

Founded in 1949 by Lewis Hill, a pacifist, poet, and journalist, KPFA was the first community supported radio station in the USA. KPFA broadcasts on 94.1 FM and KPFB 89.3 FM, Berkeley, and KFCF 88.1 FM, Fresno, California. Our signal reaches one third of the state, utilizing 59,000 watts.

Much of our programming is local, original and eclectic, with a well produced mix of news and in depth public affairs, an ongoing drama, literature and performance series, interviews, and reviews. Our music ranges from folk to hip hop, Bach to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. We travel the region to broadcast live music, demonstrations, and cultural events. The majority of our staff are unpaid community volunteers donating their time and energy to bring you our programming.

The tree-sit drew to a close that morning when UC police seized control of Science Hill and arrested the last remaining tree-sitter. William’s Tree Service, protected by fences and UC police, proceeded to cut down Redwoods and Oak Trees to make way for construction of a Biomedical building. Read More with Photos and Audio

photo gallery >>

The full presentations by Jono, Leah, Will and Darwin are published at the following link in audio (mp3) format. Read More with Photos and Audio

photo gallery >>

Jono and Leah

Will and Darwin

The central issue has been that wages have fallen dramatically behind other hospitals (UC has 5 medical centers) and California’s community colleges where workers are paid an average of 25% higher for the same work. For service workers, wages are as low as $10 an hour, forcing many to work 2-3 jobs or rely on public assistance to meet the basic needs of their families. Read More with Photos and Audio

photo gallery >>

Audio recordings of the presentations by Centolia and Bernardo are available for download at the link below. Each recording is approximately 40 minutes (81 minutes total) and the language is Spanish. Read More with Photos and Audio

photo gallery >>

Centolia Maldonado Vasquez

Bernardo Ramirez Bautista

In 1997, Peter and a friend liberated over 8,000 mink and foxes from various fur farms in a two-week road trip across three midwestern states. Read More and Listen to Audio

The following audio was recorded at UCSC’s Oakes College room 105 and edited into two tracks; Gabriela León’s presentation, followed by the question and answer session. Read More, View Photos and Listen to Audio

photo gallery >>

Question and Answer