Style Weekly
Monday, October 31, 2011
Photographer Arrested
RVA Magazine contributor charged with trespassing while taking photos of police raid on Occupy Richmond encampment.
Posted by Jason Roop on Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 4:20 PM
A freelance photographer and regular contributor to RVA Magazine says he was swept up in the police raid on the Occupy Richmond encampment last night and arrested while trying to take pictures from a public area.
“My wrists are swollen and bruised by the cuffs,” Ian Graham says Monday, out of jail released on a summons and working on another assignment.
State and city police ended a 15-day encampment at Kanawha Plaza around 1 a.m., say protestors, who were given an hour to leave. Those who chose to stay were arrested -- at least 9, as confirmed earlier today by Style.
Through his Twitter feed at @IanGraham, he wrote around 4 a.m.: “Arrested for ‘trespassing’ tonight in a crosswalk between 9th and 10th streets, while documenting @RichmondPolice breaking up #rva #ows.” The hashtags stand for Richmond and Occupy Wall Street.
Graham says he had no political agenda, doesn’t speak for the Occupy Richmond protest and went to Kanawha around 1:30 a.m. after photographing a party.
“There were people on both sides of the crosswalk where I was arrested, and none of them were arrested,” Graham writes on RVA Magazine’s website. “But none of them had cameras, either.”
Comments (5)
Showing 1-5 of 5
What a crock. Police should never arrest photographers that are not interfering with an officer. And no, taking pictures of that operation does not count as "interference." Richmond Police should be ashamed and issue an apology. *Should be,* but will probably just ignore it and continue violating civil rights.
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dislikeI am a trial attorney and will represent him in his criminal case free of charge. This is outrageous and just points out the extent to which the police will go to quell free speech.
Thanks David. I didn't see any attorney trying to get me out after I was assaulted, maced and arrested by VCU finest. I guess I should start carrying a camera so when I am assaulted and battered by the RVA Police I can claim 1st Amendment while I'm getting my eyes rinsed out. Bystanders get beaten and arrested all the time in this city and no one gives a sh*t.
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