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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?

24 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. Jeez by rhuntley12 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    6 body searchs? That seems just a tad bit in excess, don't you think?

    1. Re:Jeez by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, they lost a glove on the first one, and it took a bit of poking around to find it again...

  2. French? by isorox · · Score: 5, Funny

    Surely you mean Freedom journalists?

  3. Games on the Brain! by jpsowin · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, we all know that games cause violence, and foreigners are terrorists (especially when our alert is on HIGH!). So if you have people coming overseas coming to a large game conference....

    Sorry. I just couldn't resist. :D

  4. 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

  5. Yeah right, this is about games, uh huh by WolfWithoutAClause · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ok, let's get this straight. A bunch of journalists try to enter America without the proper paperwork, and get this, they get locked up and then deported! What a tyrannical government! It's an outrage I tell you! An outrage!

    --

    -WolfWithoutAClause

    "Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"
    1. Re:Yeah right, this is about games, uh huh by richi · · Score: 2, Informative

      Last time I checked, citizens of an EU country don't need a visa for a stay in the USA of up to 90 days, even if they're working.

      Of course, why should we expect that this publication should tell the Feds' side of the story, or do anything else resembling "proper" journalism, eh? ;-)

      r.

    2. Re:Yeah right, this is about games, uh huh by richi · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes, really, old chap. For many years now, the USA have run what they call a "Visa waiver program" (sic). My US visa expired years ago, but I still enter the US for work roughly 10 times per year, simply by filling in an I-94(W) "landing card".

      r.

    3. Re:Yeah right, this is about games, uh huh by simoniker · · Score: 5, Informative

      Just came across a good article which explains some of the issues, here at Reason Online.

      A quote: the journos were "..trying to enter the U.S. the same way European journalists have been coming for the last 17 years: on the Visa Waiver program, which allows the citizens of 27 friendly countries (from Andorra to Switzerland) to visit the States up to 90 days without a visa, as long as the trip is for "business or pleasure." Journalism, according to American consular writ, does not qualify as either."

  6. Re:seperate groups by DjReagan · · Score: 2, Informative

    The French are being singled out? What part of "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" don't you understand?

    --
    "When I grow up, I want to be a weirdo"
  7. Could have been worse. by Kris_J · · Score: 4, Informative

    They could have been named David Nelson.

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

    Terrorists have already won. :(

  9. 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.
  10. My bad... by Scorchio · · Score: 5, Funny

    I slipped the authorities £20 to intercept my manager and lead designer, who got to go to the show. I think my descriptions must have been a little vague.

  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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!

  14. 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).

  15. After all... by keiferb · · Score: 3, Funny

    We -are- at a terrorism level of "Taupe" in the US. That means the "authorities" can do whatever they want to whomever they want. God bless taupe.

  16. The visa issue by Kyouken · · Score: 3, Informative

    Accually, I was detained for a few hours some years back over the same issue. The visa waiver thingy means you can't accually -work- while being in the US, you can interview people, write articles etc., but you can't publish anything -while- you're in the US. For this you need a special visa or something, which I didn't have, and I suspect the French journalists didn't have either. The kind officers of the US Immigration Service (or something) eventually let me go, but they could've easily put me on the first plane back. Or body searched me a few times, detained me for 24 hours and -then- put me on a plane. After this incident, I never ever ever get into specifics over what kind of work I'll be doing at E3. I suspect the French journalists may have answered 'mais oui, i will publish my articles while I'm here' for all this to have happened. I also suspect the fact that they're French didn't exactly get them any favours.

  17. 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.