On March 13, 2012 I was walking through the Assembly gallery carrying my camera not in use when I was stopped by an Assembly page. She told me I had to leave with my camera because “cameras aren’t allowed in the gallery”. I told her I wasn’t filming and that I within the rules to have my camera I am just not allowed to film with it. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving my camera unattended outside of the gallery and had no place to “put it away” so I concealed it underneath my sweater which was as put away as it could be (concealed guns are allowed in the gallery) and went back in and sat down. A few minutes later the police ask me to leave because the page woman told them I had to go. Ultimately I complied with the police and then moments after doing everything they asked me to do they told me I was being “detained” and was then placed under arrest when they grew frustrated with how long the elevator was taking to get to us.
I was charged with disorderly conduct and had my camera “confiscated” by the police as evidence. so much for worrying about my camera getting stolen…
Also important to note is that all of the windows looking into the Assembly were covered up by black plastic sheeting, so there was no way of watching police conduct or seeing if someone was on the other side of a door you were about to walk through, someone will get hurt with those doors.
Also, this week is “Sunshine Week” which is “a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information”.
Guns are allowed in the gallery, cameras not so much
Additional footage provided by Leslie Amsterdam
