The Fourth Estate, Under Siege

Amy Goodman is the host of "Democracy Now!" and one of the most respected journalists working in the United States today. She was arrested, along with hundreds of other just-plain-folks, by St. Paul police during the Republican National Convention.

"Democracy Now!" host Amy Goodman questioned St. Paul's police chief this morning about why police arrested her and two of her program's producers Monday.

Goodman described how two producers, reporting on arrests Monday, were also arrested. Goodman said she was on the convention floor, interviewing the Minnesota and Alaska delegations, when she heard that her producers had been arrested and were bloodied.

Goodman said she immediately ran from the Xcel Energy Center to the site of the arrests, in a parking lot at Seventh and Jackson streets.

"I went up the riot police line," Goodman said. "I said, 'I'd like to talk to a commanding officer.' "

She said tried to ask why the producers were under arrest.

"They took me, handcuffed me immediately, said, 'You're under arrest,' " Goodman said. "They pushed me to the ground. I said, 'You can clearly see I have all the proper credentials, I have my security clearance for the (convention) floor.' "