Police in Ferguson Try to Shut Down Don Lemon's Live Broadcast
[There was a video here]
As another long night in Ferguson begins, the National Guard is on the scene, but so too are the local police, who continue to demonstrate great judgment and a keen grasp on how they're coming across to the outside world. A few minutes ago, police tried to shut down CNN anchor Don Lemon's live broadcast as he stood on a sidewalk in the middle of a group of protesters.
"I think we're about to be arrested because we're standing on a sidewalk," Lemon told a studio anchor in New York, sounding quizzical. A police officer began to shove him backwards while shouting "Move out of the way!" Lemon added, with a bit of understated 'tude, "You can see what's happening. We've been standing here all day. They told us to come here. I can't move. I'm not going to resist a police officer."
After a little more jostling, the officer stomped away and began to corral people who aren't Don Lemon.
By this point in the proceedings, you might think that Ferguson law enforcement knows better than to arrest reporters, especially on live television, but you'd think wrong. Getty photographer Scott Olson has also reportedly been arrested. There's no word yet on what he's being charged with. (Correction: An earlier version of those post stated that a second Getty photographer, Joe Raedle, had also been arrested. He has not. He took the images of Olson being placed into custody.)
Images of Getty photographer Scott Olson being arrested in Ferguson, taken by fellow Getty photographer Joe Raedle pic.twitter.com/NEul6TnsKG
— Matt Novak (@paleofuture) August 18, 2014
The officer doing the arresting seemed pretty tickled:
Obama: "Police should not be arresting journalists for doing their jobs." #Ferguson, now: @GettyImages' Scott Olson. pic.twitter.com/2XAJPwSEiD
— Matt Galloway (@mattgallowaycbc) August 18, 2014
Meanwhile, in a solidarity protest in downtown St. Louis, Hedy Epstein, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor and political activist known for her support for Palestine has been arrested in front of Missouri Governor Jay Nixon's office. Reporter Chris Stanford of local news station KMOV tweeted that Epstein and seven other people were arrested for blocking the entrance of an office building and refusing to disperse:
Several protesters just arrested downtown #StL including this woman for "blocking the entrance" #ferguson pic.twitter.com/3Pjka8j0Tz
— Chris Stanford (@StanfordKMOV) August 18, 2014
Epstein is the tiny white-haired lady being zip-tie handcuffed by two female police officers. Earlier, according to Stanford's tweets, security had refused to let the protesters into the building, on the grounds that they weren't there on "official business."
Protesters aren't being let in, security told me they're not here on "official business" - #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/6CleokqMnA
— Chris Stanford (@StanfordKMOV) August 18, 2014
Epstein immigrated to the United States in 1948 and currently lives in St. Louis. She seems unamused but unfazed by the arrest in photos from the scene:
Hedy Epstein being arrested for justice for Michael Brown Jr. #don'tshoot #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/OniQfkDzr5
— Michael T McPhearson (@MTMcPhearson) August 18, 2014
Don Lemon, photojournalists and a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor. Stay tuned as Missouri's police officers doubtless make more excellent choices throughout the night.