Tag Archives | USA

(Photo by Bradley Stuart Allen)

By Carlos Miller, Photography is Not a Crime

On November 30, during the height of the Occupy movement, more than 100 activists marched down the street in Santa Cruz, one of hundreds of demonstrations taking place throughout the country at the time.

At one point, the activists entered an abandoned Wells Fargo – directly across the street from an active Wells Fargo branch – and began a three-day occupation, hoping to turn it into a community center in this Northern California city.

Covering the demonstration were photojournalists Bradley Stuart Allen and Alex Darocy of the Indybay Collective, a coalition of independent journalists in the Bay Area.

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Photo by Pocho-one Fotography

by Pamela A. MacLean, Trial Insider

Two photojournalists face highly unusual criminal charges in Santa Cruz County that by publishing photos of a November Occupy Movement protest they conspired to aid the protesters and acted as “public information officers” for the group. Bradley Stuart Allen and Alex Darocy will be in court Tuesday asking the charges be dismissed.

The ACLU of Northern California has weighed in, filing papers arguing that the legal theory used to justify the charges of conspiracy to aid and abet the protest could apply criminal liability to journalists taking photos from outside the building and behind police lines.

“Prosecutions such as this one can serve to chill speech even if they do not result in a conviction…” wrote Michael Risher, ACLU attorney.

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Reporters Without Borders press freedom index

Josh Stearns of Free Press has been tracking arrests of journalists covering Occupy protests since September. He tracks using news outlets, social media, and tips, and always reaches out to confirm the details with each journalist. He did this for me when I was arrested Jan. 28 covering Occupy Oakland.

According to Stearns, 70 journalists have been arrested while covering Occupy protests in 12 cities around the country.

In an annual survey of worldwide freedom of the press released Jan. 23 by Reporters without Borders, the United States ranks 47th, a fall from last year’s 20th place ranking. According to the group, the US “owed its fall of 27 places to the many arrests of journalist covering Occupy Wall Street protests.”

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by Josh Stearns — March 14, 2012
Free Press Action Fund

How should we respond to the unprecedented rise in attacks on freedom of the press we are witnessing worldwide?

From foreign correspondents and citizen reporters being targeted and killed in Syria to new cases of press suppression and intimidation here at home, recent months have provided a series of stark reminders about the risks journalists take to bring us the news we need.

However, we are also seeing the rise of a new era of journalism advocates — ordinary people in communities around the country who are standing up for our freedoms and taking action to protect the First Amendment. For too long we have taken the First Amendment for granted, but increasingly we are taking responsibility for it. In the last few months, more than 40,000 Free Press members sent letters and made phone calls to their mayors, demanding that charges be dropped for the nearly 70 journalists who have been arrested while trying to cover Occupy protests nationwide.

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by Haley Behre — Mar 19, 2012
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

A California judge refused to dismiss a felony conspiracy and two misdemeanor trespassing charges against a photojournalist for his coverage of an “Occupy” demonstration in Santa Cruz.

Superior Court Judge Stephen Sillman did rule last week, however, that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence that Bradley Stuart Allen committed felony vandalism, another offense he faced as a result of his newsgathering activities, and dismissed that charge after a hearing last week, Allen’s attorney, Ben Rice, said in an interview.

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