CENSORSHIP WATCH: Journalists Arrested and Removed During Occupy Wall Street Evacuation

Earlier this week Mayor Bloomberg ordered that Zuccotti Park be cleared of the encampment that has evolved there over the 2 months of the Occupy Wall Street movement. As part of that raid, he also instituted a media blackout, and were kept from seeing and/or covering what was happening. At least 6 journalists were arrested for trying to cover the raid.  In a press conference the following morning, Mayor Bloomberg said that the reason for keeping out the media was for their own protection and to prevent a situation from getting worse.

Today the Huffington Post reported that the Society Of Professional Journalists has condemned the arrests of reporters carried out by the New York Police Department during their raid of the Occupy Wall Street encampment.

In a statement on Tuesday, the group noted that at least six journalists had been arrested, and called “for all charges against these journalists to be dropped and for greater care by police to avoid arresting or otherwise obstructing journalists who are simply and clearly doing their jobs.” It also stressed that “the journalists were either wearing press credentials or explained to police that they were reporters covering the protests,” and argued, “they were clearly exercising the constitutional right of a free press…it is clear now that many journalists have been erroneously arrested without cause.”

For more on this story read the original article at huffingtonpost.com.

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