North Dakota State's Attorney Ladd Erickson has dropped criminal trespassing charges against Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman -- and is instead seeking to charge her with participating in a riot, Democracy Now! (10/15/16) reported.
Both sets of charges relate to Goodman's coverage of protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline project, which is opposed by a Native American-led coalition that is concerned about its threat to sacred and historic sites, North Dakota's water resources and the planet's climate. While accusing a journalist of trespassing for covering a breaking story of vital public interest is a clear threat to freedom of the press (FAIR.org, 9/15/16), a riot charge would be even worse, because it would attempt to criminalize Goodman's point of view as a reporter. ...