“Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” - Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 1786

Recommended read from Timothy Karr of Free Press on the simply unacceptable silence and acquiescence of so-called public officials in condoning and/or excusing through their silence the government repression of journalism in St. Paul.

Here we have every indication of an orchestrated assault by federal and local law enforcement agencies to stifle independent sources of information. As shocking as this conduct is, more disturbing is the fact that the mayor’s office and the local daily seem so unconcerned.

It’s not difficult to understand why. With local leaders making every effort to roll out the welcome mat for mainstream media and the GOP leadership during a nationally televised convention, they’d rather sweep beneath the carpet those pesky independents who are showing us a side of the event that is less scripted and unready for prime time.

As an elected representative, Mayor Coleman should take a stand on behalf of a free press, rein in aggressive and violent tactics by local law enforcement, stop the targeting of journalists and immediately drop all charges against them.

One telling quote included in this report is by police spokesman Don Walsh….

Police spokesman Don Walsh intervened only to say that “arrest have been made” and that all those arrested were involved in criminal activities and not “simply non-participants.”

By making such a statement he is implying that only the guilty are arrested, and the very fact that you have been arrested is evidence of your guilt. That’s a convenient little loop of logic in the service of unaccountable government power.

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