Activist George Donnelly arrested for filming jury nullification outreach of Julian Heicklen
“George attempted to video what was happening. Seconds later, they assaulted George and wrestled his video camera away. Thugs piled on George. One even put his knee on George’s face.” – Jim Babb, describing the official reaction to a peaceful FIJA outreach effort in Allentown PA.
In assaulting Donnelly the agents clearly violated Department of Homeland Security policy (pdf), which requires them to approach, identify themselves, and interview photographers on federal property to determine criminal behavior.
Absent criminal behavior, “the photography should be permitted to proceed unimpeded.”
Two libertarian activists, George Donnelly and Jim Babb, had barely joined relentless freedom campaigner Julian Heicklen at the federal courthouse in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to help distribute Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) literature when they were confronted by US Marshals.
The three had worked together before but, as Babb later described this experience, “We encountered the most aggressive opposition that I have seen so far.”
It began when a female agent approached Heicklen.
“Julian chose to argue with her in a belligerent fashion,” Babb reports. “Within seconds, about 10 or 12 federal goons arrived. These people were extremely aggressive. The female assaulted Julian. He commanded her to back off.”
That’s when George Donnelly, attempting to videotape the incident, was taken down by the marshals.
From Jim Babb’s report to the Libertarian News Examiner:
“I called 911 to report an assault and robbery in progress. Things were very chaotic, stressful and happening very fast.
“We all had goons in our faces, but George was targeted for extreme violence to get his camera.
“A minute or two later, more goons arrived and kidnapped George. They threatened Julian and me as well.”
Babb told the Libertarian News Examiner this morning in an exclusive interview that what happened to Donnelly “was a mugging and a kidnapping.”
He said that Donnelly had been taken to the Lehigh County Corrections facility and later transferred to the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia.
Babb, who admitted he doesn’t know where Donnelly is for sure, has contacted a lawyer and fellow libertarian in Philadelphia to find and help Donnelly.
“All contact with the public, to include photographers, must be conducted in a professional but polite manner.” – Special Security Bulletin, Photography on Federally Owned and Leased Facilities (pdf).
In another ironic twist, Julian Heicklen had distributed FIJA pamphlets by himself earlier that day in Reading, PA, without incident.
Let us hope that the footage isn’t destroyed.
May 13th, 2010 at 8:49 am
I really, really hope some footage comes out of this. I also think the cops will destroy it. My heart goes out to George.
May 13th, 2010 at 9:03 am
Agreed. As I said on other blogs… this is another example why everyone attending such an event should be strapped with at least one camera. Streaming cell phones are even better.
May 15th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
[...] Blog of Bile: Activist George Donnelly arrested for filming jury nullification outreach of Julian He… [...]
May 17th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
[...] for filming Julien Heicklen while the latter handed out jury info pamphlets. See the following: http://blogofbile.com/2010/05/12/activist-george-donnelly-arrested-for-filming-jury-nullification-ou... Clearly, the police make it up as they go along, they do whatever they want, they serve the [...]