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Foreign E3 Journalists Body Searched, Deported

Posted by simoniker on from the sonic-and-mario-brandishing-rubber-gloves dept.

Thanks to Janko for pointing out a press release at Reporters Without Borders denouncing the US authorities for deporting French games journalists sent to cover E3. The complaint alleges that "..these journalists were treated like criminals - subjected to several body searches, handcuffed, locked up and fingerprinted", after arriving in Los Angeles on (arguably misleading) tourist visas to cover the E3 trade show. It doesn't seem to have been just the French, either - messageboard reports indicate at least 5 British journalists from a variety of publications had a similar treatment. Who'd have thought attending E3 could be so.. dangerous?

12 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. Surprise? by Mad+Quacker · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is about rights that are no longer protected or respected by our government. Many people say in response to criticism of the patriot act and the atrophy of civil rights long before that "How are you less free now? What can't you do now because of xxx" - Well here it is. The bill of rights and could dissappear tomorrow, and america would be little different, except for the unlucky. You could be an unlucky one today.

    Some of you may cite the fact that they are not citizens, but that is just a loophole considering anyone can be declared an enemy combatent.

    We are in a critical period in our history, the age oil is peaking, and there is a single super power on the planet redefining itself - apparently into a extreme right fascist global empire. Pay close attention.

    --
    "I don't know that atheists should be considered citizens, nor should they be considered patriots." George HW Bush
    1. Re:Surprise? by jfisherwa · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "Well here it is. The bill of rights could disappear tomorrow .."

      It's a passing phase due to the government accentuating the after-effects of "9/11." Our society has such short-term memory that this will all be forgotten by the next generation. Looking at the history of America, this has always been both unfortunate and a blessing rolled into one, but always something we simply need to accept.

    2. Re:Surprise? by regen · · Score: 4, Insightful
      This is about rights that are no longer protected or respected by our government.

      No, this is about rights they never had. They came over here to work, and they had tourist visa. They should have gotten the correct type of visa. The US has in the past been lax about enforcement of this for short term assignments such as this, but Europe has not.

      France is much worse. Have you ever tried to work in France. The country is so heavily unionized, and it is so difficult to get a temporary work visa. A company I used to work for had a plant in southern France. We occasionally would have to sent prototype electronics to this plant for work they were doing. Because they were prototypes, the company wanted to have an employee bring them over. US employee couldn't do this because of french visa issues. French employees had to fly to the US to pick up the part and bring it back.

      The French are only getting what they have been dishing out for years. Serves them right.

      --
      The Economics of Website Security
    3. Re:Surprise? by (trb001) · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Would that I had mod points for you, my friend. This is a classic example of border patrol doing what they're supposed to. Sorry if it took them slightly over a day to figure out there was no harm being done by the people with the incorrect visas, but they weren't roughed up, didn't have their rights stripped from them, had a speedy trip from accusal to judgement and were transported safely back home.

      I salute the officers on this case.

      --trb

  2. Just one more proof that by imaniack · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Terrorists have already won. :(

  3. Re:seperate groups by Virus1984 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Might it be retribution against the French for not doing what the U.S. ordered them to do (Iraq)?

    Event if it was it shouldn't have happened...no one, I repeat NO ONE is supposed to do whatever the USA tell them to do; especially when the order is to wage war on some random country just because.

    --
    Don't forget to think different.
  4. Re:seperate groups by Darkstorm · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Might it be retribution against the French for not doing what the U.S. ordered them to do (Iraq)?

    The US was not orering the French to do anything, as I remember it the French said they would veto anything that the US wanted to do. The French had lots of contracts with Iraq and Sadam, so it came down to money. Since terrorist are becoming brave again and are looking to cause more terror, the US is stepping up on its security. Did the Security people single out the French reporters? I wouldn't be supprised, and quite honestly don't care. Since they are picking on others too it helps hide the fact they are singling people out.

    Overall they basicly harrassed the journalist because they can, and because right now France has shown that they have only self interest in mind and don't really like the US that much. (This is based on the attitude the French Govt has displayed over the past many months) So when US security gives French people a hard time, its not that it makes it right, but its the little peoples way of getting thier own revenge. If the French want better treatment from the US, then they should act like a friend to the US. As long as they keep showing an attitude that they dislike the US, the response is going to be negitive.

    --
    If ignorance is bliss, the world is full of blissful people
  5. Re:seperate groups by Cackmobile · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "If the French want better treatment from the US, then they should act like a friend to the US"

    A friend doesn't mean doing what ever they want you to do. Friends offer each other advice and disagree on different things.

    BTW That whole incident shows why the UN is flawed. Why should 5 countries have the right to veto and get their own way. Everything should be voted on and no one have special powers.

    --
    -- Karma Karma Karma Karma, Karma Chameleon - Boy George
  6. In _some_ countries... by Dreetje · · Score: 2, Insightful

    we know something we call Human rights. Even if you have a wrong visa (but you still have one!) then why you have to be cuffed and locked up?

    Really, would a terrorist get any visa? And if they do, would they mix them up? Terrorism can't be an excuse to do anything you want, there are some rights everyone should have, and one of them is, innocent till proven, so why treat them like they are not?

    --
    Dre
  7. Re:seperate groups by kalidasa · · Score: 3, Insightful

    And the fact that 5 British journalists were also subjected to this, despite the fact that the British supported the US in the war, means what? Maybe that your theory is all wet?

    I'll tell you what I think happened. They came into the country on tourist visas, and when they were asked why they had come to the US, they said "we're journalists going to a games conference." The Homeland Security goons looked at the visas, saw that they either lied to get their visas or were lying to the goons, and determined them to be security risks. Hence the cavity searches.

    So the moral of the story is...if you have a tourist visa and the Homeland Security goons ask if you're here to go to Disneyland, you SAY YES!

  8. Re:seperate groups by andyt · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Just a point of info : I don't believe they lied to get their visas. The UK (and, I think, France) has a "Visa Waiver Program" with the USA. This states that you don't need a visa if you're travelling to the USA for non-business use for a period of up to 6 months.

    So, yes, they should have got a working visa (a J-1?) but they didn't lie.. they just didn't think they needed one.

    These are all Europeans, used to being able to travel anywhere in Europe and report on trade shows and what-have-you without restriction. Any EU citizen can work in any other country, it is part of the Free Trade agreement.

    The UK journos might not have realised the differences. If you can go report on things in Germany or Spain, wouldn't you think you could do the same in the US?

    Actually, the more I think about it, the more I realise how difficult it would be to get the correct visa. Under current US law, the only way for a non-citizen to get a permit to work is either to be sponsored by a US company (who has to prove that nobody in the USA can do that job) or marry someone. How would a journo for a foreign paper get such a visa?

    (Disclaimer : The USA currently has over 40 different categories of visas. There might be a different one that applies).

  9. Re:seperate groups by rEWDBOi · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So it's okay to harrass one country's citizens just because the leader of said country disagree with the leader of another country about political issues? It's just plain racist b#llsh*t to say "the French" per se had that point of view. I don't know if you're aware of the fact that people might disagree with their leaders. I know I do. But I guess you just do whatever your leader tells you to. I think that's called fascism. Or at least it's part of the concept of fascism.