Minneapolis, MN: Police Confiscate Journalists Equipment

thumpsalot · #1 08-28-2008, 01:44 AM

Vlad Teichberg and two other videographers from NYC were stopped & interrogated by Minneapolis police last night. Their video camera, a still camera, a laptop and some cell phones were confiscated, basically putting them out of business in the interim.

Vlad Teichberg is a well known for documenting instances of police misconduct, most recently producing the well-viewed video of NYPD officer Patrick Pogan assaulting a bicyclist during a Critical Mass event in NYC.

As background, here is a NY Times article about that event & the video:

The Officer, the Bicyclist and the Video

And here is the video on YouTube, now viewed more than 1.5 million times:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUkiyBVytRQ

As a result of the video (which completely contradicts Officer Patrick Pogan's statements), Officer Patrick Pogan has been placed on "modified assignment" -- assigned to a desk and relieved of his badge & gun.

Videos like this are good thing -- they help to protect honest citizens from abusive and dishonest cops.

So Minneapolis welcomes Vlad Teichberg & his friends to the city:

Quote:

Originally Posted by City Pages

Teichberg says that he and his two friends were walking near 26th Ave. and 6th St. NE at around 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning when two police cars pulled up alongside them. Officers exited the vehicles, Teichberg says, questioned the three, and then searched their possessions and took their small video cameras, a laptop, a portable hard drive, and other personal effects.

"At no time did we consent to the search," Teichberg says.

The officers said that they could get their possessions back the next day, Teichberg adds.

Teichberg says that he and another of the alleged victims had just picked up their colleague at a bus stop after she'd arrived from Chicago, and that they were walking back to the house where they were staying in northeast Minneapolis when the cops stopped them.

Moreover ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by City Pages

Nestor says he spoke with an MPD lieutenant who told him the police are investigating the three for trespassing on railroad property and that the property is being kept to determine its true owners.

Since when do journalists need to prove ownership of their equipment?

Another account:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Village Voice

early Tuesday morning Vlad Teichberg, Olivia Rachel Katz and Anita Brath got off the 17B bus at 27th and Washington St. in northeast Minneapolis, and were walking to a friend's house when cops pulled up in squad cars (later joined by a sheriff's deputy) and interrogated them about some "car burglaries" in the area. The cops searched their property without their consent, and seized cellphones, video cameras, a still camera, a computer, and a hard drive, "as well as clothing, personal objects, and money."

The cops later told Nestor that the group was being investigated for "criminal trespass" in the local railroad yard -- which was the first any of the videographers had heard of it.

Minneapolis continues with some absurd violations of the 4th amendment:

Quote:

Originally Posted by WCCO

Palmer also said the officers appears to have acted reasonably and would have stopped anyone seen near transportation infrastructure late at night.

So anyone who happens to be near a train station/bus station/airport/boat/railroad tracks, etc., can be stopped, searched, interrogated and his belongings confiscated solely for proximity to "transportation infrastructure"? I think not.

It gets worse:

Quote:

Originally Posted by WCCO

Their confiscated belongings were reviewed by the Joint Terrorism Task Force

So not only was their personal property confiscated, their cell phones, videos and other electronic documents were searched without their permission and apparently without a warrant.

City Pages: Minneapolis cops detain activist journalists, confiscate their cameras

Village Voice: NY Cop-Watchers Harassed in Minneapolis

Star Tribune: NYC group wants Minneapolis police to return items

Star Tribune: Journalists get confiscated property back

Room Eight: Press Release by Vlad Teichberg & Barbara Ross

Their web site: Glass Bead Collective

Post #3 contains a Google Earth image of the block where the incident took place

Map Quest: Map of incident location (2600 block 6th St. NE) -- appears to be just a residential neighborhood with a couple railroad tracks

thumpsalot · #2 08-28-2008, 03:38 AM

So was this a simple arrest or ... ?

Personally, I think this was a badly botched attempt at gathering intelligence on potential demonstrators at the Republican convention. Although they might have gathered some information from the cell phones and laptop, they have also exposed the Minneapolis Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department and the city and county to substantial civil liability, not to mention the horrendous publicity.

It's been known for a year that both the Minneapolis and St. Paul police departments were undertaking controversial efforts to gather intelligence on protestors at the convention.

Specifically, in Minneapolis a year ago there was a Critical Mass ride that turned violent. In the ensuing testimony, Minneapolis Police Sergeant David Stichter admitted their motives:

Quote:

Originally Posted by City Pages

But during the trial of cyclist Gus Ganley, MPD Sgt. David Stichter testified that a task force had been created to monitor the August 31 ride and that the department knew that members of an RNC protest group would be along for the ride.

There have been numerous articles published in last year about the intelligence gathering effort:

Star Tribune: As convention nears, rules set for scrutiny of protesters

One civil rights authority quoted in the Star Tribune described the St. Paul Police Department as "putting in language that would be useful if it is challenged".

The ACLU's executive director summed it up as "It looks like they are in the business of infiltrating groups."

City Pages reported on an attempt to recruit moles: Moles Wanted

An article on WCCO's web site: St. Paul Police Adopt New Guidelines Ahead Of RNC

A local attorney's opinion in the 'CCO article: "I'm not surprised by the policy, but I think it represents the preparations of St. Paul police to be engaged in surveillance and infiltration of groups that engage in First Amendment activity."

In the end, there will be three well funded videographers, thanks to local taxpayers.

thumpsalot · #3 08-28-2008, 04:12 AM

Here is a Google Earth view of the 2600 block of 6th St. NE in Minneapolis where the incident took place:

The block appears to be primarily residential & across from some railroad tracks.

thumpsalot · #4 08-28-2008, 10:48 PM

It appears that some backlash is starting. One very good side effect of this is that journalists covering the protests around the Republican convention may end up better organized and provide better coverage of events than otherwise would have happened.

City Pages: Activist journalists get their gear back

KARE-11: http://www.kare11.com/news/news_arti...523229&catid=2

Quote:

Originally Posted by City Pages

The officers confiscated their belongings, which included computers, cameras, cash, and personal effects.

Yesterday, the cops gave it all back.

In between, the wronged parties, who belong to the Glass Bead Collective, managed to kick up a bit of a media storm, with everyone from the Strib to Newsday reporting on the incident.

... as a result of which:

Quote:

Originally Posted by City Pages

All the publicity, says Glass Bead Collective co-founder Vlad Teichberg, has brought in a torrent of phone calls from like-minded videographers descending on the Twin Cities to document police behavior during the RNC.

Vlad Teichberg anitcipates that his core group of 8-9 people might become an "informal assignment editor for videographers in town to monitor cops".

Here's another version of the incident where the equipment was confiscated, twisted somewhat differently:

Quote:

Originally Posted by KARE 11

Minneapolis Police say the New Yorkers were stopped because it appeared they were trespassing on federal property. Authorities also say the journalists gave evasive answers to their questions and refused to tell officers their destination.

Federal property? Last I heard it was "railroad infrastructure". Railroads are private companies.

Evasive answers? Refused to tell officers their destination? You don't have to give a police officer the time of day. This is not [yet] a police state. These clowns need a refresher course in the Bill of Rights, especially the 1st, 4th & 5th amendments.

thumpsalot · #5 08-29-2008, 02:38 PM

More updates, the local police agencies appear to be continuing to collect intelligence and harass potential demonstrators, and there are rumors circulating of a preemptive roundup of key demonstrators.

Minnesota Independent: Rumors circulating of possible police sweeps in Minneapolis this weekend

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minnesota Independent

Bruce Nestor of the Minnesota chapter of the National Lawyers Guild says, “I am fearful of the 36-hour hold in Minneapolis.”

Nestor is referring to the Minneapolis Police Department policy of holding detainees for up to 36 hours before charging them with a crime. One rumor circulating in activist circles is that Minneapolis cops will sweep up a number of “usual suspects” this weekend. Owing to the fact that the 36-hour policy does not apply on Sundays or holidays (such as Labor Day on this coming Monday), the clock would not start on those holds until next Tuesday morning–meaning that anyone detained late in the day on Friday could be held until midday next Wednesday, when the convention is more than halfway over.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minnesota Independent

One event this weekend that bears watching is the monthly Critical Mass taking off from Loring Park on Friday evening. The ride will mark the one year anniversary of mass arrests by the Minneapolis Police Department, and of the 19 arrestees not one was convicted, although two did pay minor traffic fines. Because of video by citizen journalists, accounts by police were directly contradicted in court.

Could police nab activists there to prevent them from protesting at the RNC?

“I haven’t heard anything about any organized targeting, but with individual officers, preventive detention is not out of the realm of possibility,” says Nestor.

Note that a Critical Mass ride in August of 2007 also appeared to be an intelligence operation related to the RNC. Of all the arrests made, authorities obtained zero convictions, but MPD Sgt. David Stichter testified that a task force had been created to monitor the August 31 ride and that the department knew that members of an RNC protest group would be along for the ride.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minnesota Independent

St. Paul attorney Gena Berglund said that more likely, the police will be engaging in intimidating behavior. “Generally, in the past, police officers target convergence space, spaces where activists tend to gather before big events,” according to Berglund. “The police don’t really do anything but ask a lot of questions and say things like ‘We are watching you and we know you are with this group or that group or you know this person and this person is on our list.’”

And it is already occurring. “We have also seen visiting by police officers of individuals at their homes and businesses in an attempt to intimidate,” said Berglund.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minnesota Independent

Police searched the apartment of one protester after appearing with a warrant — though all they took was a map of St. Paul) . The Glass Bead Collective visited the RNC convergence space to film for their documentary just hours before their cameras were confiscated by police. While they were there, police showed up to ask questions at the convergence space and “look around.” When Glass Bead members turned on their cameras, the police quickly left.

There's also another article that Google suggests has some interesting info but I keep getting server errors: