arrested

A journalist filmed an ICE protest at a Minnesota church. Then federal agents showed up at her door

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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/16/minnesota-journalist-charged-ice-protest

Georgia Fort. Photograph: Sheldon Powell

After Georgia Fort and Don Lemon reported from a church whose pastor reportedly works for ICE, agents arrested Fort in front of her children

When federal agents arrived at Georgia Fort’s front door to arrest her, she knew what to do: be a journalist.

Fort, an independent Minnesota reporter who faces criminal charges after covering a protest inside a St Paul church, took out her phone and spoke directly to the camera, livestreaming to her audience that her lawyer advised her to go with the agents. Her three kids were in the house at the time, she said.

“I’m going to have to hop off here and surrender to agents,” she said in the video on 30 January. “As a member of the press, I filmed the church protest a few weeks ago, and now I’m being arrested for that. It’s hard to understand how we have a constitution, constitutional rights, when you can just be arrested for being a member of the press.”

…

During the height of “Operation Metro Surge” in January, days after a federal agent killed Renee Good, dozens of people entered the church to call attention to one of its pastors, who reportedly served as an acting field director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Nearly 40 people have been charged over the protest in a sprawling case that pits the first amendment rights to protest and report against the free exercise of religion. The Trump administration has made clear that the case is a high priority. Harmeet Dhillon, the head of the civil rights division at the Department of Justice, has said the government is “going to pursue this to the ends of the earth”, which the government said in legal filings was not a political statement but “mere promises to vigorously enforce federal criminal law”.

…

Fort often highlights attacks on journalists in her coverage, and she brings up the sustained attack on press freedom globally as context for her arrest. She points to journalists like Mario Guevara, a Latino journalist in Georgia who was deported by the Trump administration, and the hundreds of journalists killed in Gaza.

These attacks on journalists aren’t just personal – they are an attack on the public’s right to know, she said.

“Why would anybody not want you to know truth and facts?” she said. “Why would someone want to arrest and criminalize the people whose job it is to simply keep you informed?”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/16/minnesota-journalist-charged-ice-protest

Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Donald Trump warns against following the Onaquietday.org blog, says that he's heard that she's a witch with a black cat and a dangerous kitchen.
Donald Trump warns against following the Onaquietday.org blog, says that he’s heard that she’s a witch with a black cat and a dangerous kitchen.
Continue ReadingA journalist filmed an ICE protest at a Minnesota church. Then federal agents showed up at her door

Michigan Organizer Speaks After Being Arrested Live on Camera for Protesting Trump Venezuela Attack

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Original article by Julia Conley republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Jessica Plichta is arrested on camera on January 5, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during a TV news interview about her participation in a nonviolent protest against President Donald Trump’s invasion of Venezuela. (Photo: screenshot/WZZM13)

Jessica Plichta told a reporter that it is “the duty of us the people to stand against the Trump regime” just before she was arrested.

A 22-year-old woman who was detained for several hours by police in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday after speaking out against President Donald Trump’s invasion of Venezuela had allegedly “obstructed a roadway” and failed to obey officers—but she described an arrest in which the authorities appeared to be suspicious of her for protesting at all.

Jessica Plichta, a preschool teacher and organizer, told Zeteo on Monday that police officers repeatedly asked her why she was at a protest in Grand Rapids’ Rosa Parks Circle, where hundreds of demonstrators spoke out against the US military’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores—a violation of international law that has garnered worldwide condemnation.

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Plichta had just finished speaking to a reporter with local ABC News affiliate WZZM about her opposition to the US invasion of Venezuela when two city police officers came up behind her and placed her under arrest.

It is “the duty of us the people to stand against the Trump regime, the Trump administration, that are committing crimes both here in the US and against people in Venezuela,” said Plichta just before the officers appeared on camera behind her.

Plichta told Zeteo, “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that as soon as I finished an interview speaking on Venezuela, I was arrested—the only person arrested out of 200 people.”

She told the officers she was “not resisting arrest” as they led her toward a police car. A bystander approached and asked the police what Plichta was being detained for.

The officers replied that she had been “obstructing a roadway” and was accused of “failure to obey a lawful command from a police officer.”

Plichta told Zeteo that the police drove her away from WZZM‘s cameras and then took her out of the car, patted her down, and confiscated her belongings. The officers told her she had been “making a scene” and asked her about her involvement in the protest: whether she was Venezuelan, “what she had to do with Venezuela,” and what she was doing at the protest.

She also told Zeteo that the police asked her for the names of other demonstrators.

She was asked again what her connection to Venezuela was after she was taken to Kent County Correctional Facility, where she was held for about three hours and released after outcry from her fellow organizers.

“We are so accustomed to, and used to, repression when we speak out on anti-war topics,” Plichta told the outlet. “When we speak out for Venezuela, when we speak out for Palestine, we expect the police to want to shut that down.”

A spokesperson for the Grand Rapids Police Department told Zeteo that protesters had “refused lawful orders to move this free speech event to the sidewalk and instead began blocking intersections until the march ended,” and said Plichta “was positively identified by officers,” allowing for her arrest.

Though Plichta remained calm when she was arrested and suggested that she had taken her detention relatively in stride, supporters expressed shock that she had been targeted for speaking out against Trump’s attack on Venezuela—which is broadly unpopular across the United States.

“What in the Gestapo is going on in Grand Rapids?” asked Brandon Friedman, a former Obama administration official.

Friedman pointed out that among elected Democrats, there appeared to be little if any outcry over Plichta’s arrest for participating in a peaceful protest.

If this happened to a conservative organizer, Republicans would make her a hero, a household name and a congressional candidate.Elected Democrats just pretend it isn't happening.

— Brandon Friedman (@brandonfriedman.bsky.social) 2026-01-05T16:29:27.625Z

“Protesting in this country is sacred,” Plichta told Zeteo, “and so it is important that our rights are protected and that we are not criminalized for peacefully protesting in a world full of escalating violence.”

Original article by Julia Conley republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn't bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn’t bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.

Continue ReadingMichigan Organizer Speaks After Being Arrested Live on Camera for Protesting Trump Venezuela Attack

Israeli forces arrest writer and political researcher Sari Orabi

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Sari Orabi [sariorabi/X]

Israeli occupation forces arrested the writer and political researcher Sari Orabi after raiding his home at dawn on Thursday in the town of Rafat, north of occupied Jerusalem, according to local media sources.

The sources said Israeli forces carried out wide arrest raids early on Thursday across several areas of the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. The raids targeted a number of young men and former prisoners after their homes were stormed, searched and damaged.

Sari Orabi is a writer and researcher specialising in politics and Islamic thought. His articles have been published in several newspapers, magazines, websites and research centres. He also regularly appears as a commentator on cultural, intellectual and political issues on a number of television channels.

In addition to Orabi, Israeli forces arrested Ibrahim Hourani after raiding his home in the city of Qalqilya. In the town of Aroura, north of Ramallah, they arrested Nasser Mufaraj and his son Amr, and re-arrested former prisoner Tayseer Khusaib following home raids.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office said the continued arrest campaigns show that Israeli policy targets academics, writers, former prisoners and young people alike, rather than a specific group. It said this reflects a clear attempt to suppress public awareness and social influence within Palestinian society.

READ: Israel’s membership suspended from European Transport Safety Council over government actions

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Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingIsraeli forces arrest writer and political researcher Sari Orabi

Five officers investigated following death of man in custody

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/five-officers-investigated-following-death-man-custody

 A detail of a Police officer

FIVE officers are being investigated by the police watchdog following the death of a man in custody.

Ellis Rocks died in hospital on August 3 after being found unresponsive in custody two days earlier.

The 26-year-old had been arrested at 8.30pm at the Britannia Hotel in Standish, Wigan, on July 31.

Mr Rocks was handcuffed and searched before being transferred to custody, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog said.

An ambulance was called by detention officers in the early hours the following day when he was seen to be unresponsive and lying on the floor.

Paramedics arrived, but he suffered a cardiac arrest on route to the hospital and was pronounced dead at 7.20am.

Two Greater Manchester Police officers are being investigated for potential gross misconduct, the IOPC said.

A further three are under investigation for potential breaches of police standards of professional behaviour at the level of misconduct.

…

Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/five-officers-investigated-following-death-man-custody

Continue ReadingFive officers investigated following death of man in custody

Senior Israeli official flees US after paedophilia arrest, sparking debate over Israeli impunity

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich [LinkedIn]

In another example of what many claim to be Israel’s undue influence over the US, a senior Israeli official facing serious paedophilia charges fled the country after being arrested in a law enforcement sting operation in Nevada.

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, a high-ranking figure in Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, an agency operating under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, was arrested by Las Vegas police during a multi-agency investigation targeting online child predators.

According to police statements, Alexandrovich was one of eight individuals apprehended as part of the sting. He was charged with the felony offence of “luring a child with a computer for sex acts” and later released on $10,000 bail. He subsequently returned to Israel, prompting questions about how and why a foreign national accused of such a crime was allowed to leave the US before facing trial.

Read: Accused of paedophilia, Jewish-Americans are escaping to Israel, report finds

The Israeli Cyber Directorate initially claimed the incident involved only “questioning” and insisted the trip was “unrelated to work matters”. However, police documents obtained by Israeli media contradict this, confirming Alexandrovich was indeed arrested and charged in the US and yet still managed to evade justice.

The scandal has provoked widespread outrage and online debate, with critics accusing Israeli authorities of helping Alexandrovich evade US justice. Many questioned why he was allowed to leave the country despite the severity of the allegations and whether Israeli diplomatic or political channels intervened.

Observers have pointed to the striking silence from US authorities following his return to Israel. Some have compared the case to the scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender widely accused of running a global blackmail operation with political protection. Epstein, who had longstanding ties to Israeli figures and intelligence-linked networks, has long been suspected of operating as a Mossad asset.

This is not the first time Israeli officials have been accused of misconduct abroad. Last month, Yossi Shelley, Israel’s ambassador to the UAE and a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was recalled following reports of inappropriate behaviour. Emirati officials complained of Shelley’s frequenting of “dubious places” and his abusive conduct towards local staff. He reportedly boasted openly about his exploits with sex workers.

The Alexandrovich case has further inflamed concerns over what critics call “Israeli exceptionalism” in Western legal systems, the idea that Israeli nationals and institutions are shielded from accountability due to political alliances, particularly in the US.

One of the most widely circulated posts came from US activist and journalist Shaun King, whose thread on the case garnered millions of views before being abruptly deleted by X.

“In the middle of the night, @elonmusk deleted EVERY SINGLE TWEET I’ve made about the Israeli pedophile, Tom Alexandrovich,” King wrote. “Every retweet. Every link to my articles. Hundreds of my tweets about Tom Alexandrovich are gone.”

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Continue ReadingSenior Israeli official flees US after paedophilia arrest, sparking debate over Israeli impunity