Re: [Leica] Busted with my M2

[Aaron Ruby <aruby@rci.rutgers.edu>]

on 12/14/00 7:06 PM, Steve LeHuray at icommag@toad.net wrote:
Javier wrote:

>> Howdy
>> That's weird
>> Were you or your wife carrying press credentials?
>> They usually avoid trouble with reporters at all cost.

Steve responded:
 
> Javier,
> 
> I was in that same city block (with two M2's) where the police had
> barricaded some 600 protesters and media for about two hours. They announced
> with a bullhorn that the media had 15 minutes to leave. At that ppoint the
> demonstrators in unison started to cry out for the media to stay. I left
> along with other media, some stayed including Washington Post Pulitzer
> winning PJ Carol Muzy, they got arrested. It did not matter to the police
> whether you had press credentials or not.

 
On the money, Steve! My wife did not have her credentials with her because
she was working freelance for the Independent Media Center and didn't want
to involve Time/Warner in any fracas. I wasn't carrying any credentials
because I'm not a journalist, just a hack with a Leica.  But it didn't
matter in the end, since the cops attitude was basically "we don't care
about no stinking press passes." It's true that they offered media the
chance to leave, but many stayed--some because they wanted to and some
because they couldn't hear the announcements.


Javier also wrote:
>> I'll remember that if a guy tries to mug me.
>> I'll just give him my wallet, smile and say "see you in court
>> mister mugger" 

I'm not sure what your on about here, but I think Marc's description of the
situation is accurate: they could have taken my camera but destroying my
film was a 'no-no'. I don't think it matters that I did it myself, since it
was done under duress and was by no means voluntary. Then again, Deadman's
also right--I have no real way to prove what happened. My wife's another
story, however. Anyway, unlike some others who were arrested that night, I
got out relatively unscathed, and it was actually rather odd to be taken to
jail by a municipal bus driver, booked by a clueless academy cadet, and
remanded by a postal worker. Another interesting highlight was that they
were only letting people 'post and forfeit' who had CASH, which was promptly
dropped into a brimming cardboard box sans receipt. Hmmm...

MORAL OF STORY: When you find yourself in a situation where the authorities
are operating so far outside of accepted guidelines that this sort of
nonsense strikes you as humorous, the best thing to do is get yourself and
anyone else you have the money to spot the F*** out of there. And that's
exactly what we did, pride or no.


Aaron