Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Right of protest

http://citypages.com/databank/26/1299/article13800.asp


Check this out ladies and gentlemen a copy editor Tim Mahoney, a part-time copy editor with the St. Paul Pioneer Press decided to go to a peace rally in Washington D.C. on a bus arranged by a church in the St. Paul area. The demonstration drew over 100,000 people from across the nation who are against the war in Iraq.

For Mahoney this is a beginning of him being part of the story instead of a face in the crowd excercising his right to protest his paper, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, suspended him for 3 days without pay due to his participation in the protest.

The paper called his home asking if he could work that weekend when he was already on the bus toward Washington D.C. because they were short-handed and hurricane Rita landed.

Once Mahoney got back, the newspaper launched an internal investigation and not only suspended him for 3 days without pay, they told him he could not edit any stories about Iraq AND if he attends ANY OTHER protests he will be fired.

Again ladies and gentlemen I ask you: We have a right to protest in this country. If the right is taken away as it has been done here isn't that violating our civil rights?

2 comments:

Robert E Wilson said...

Yes, he has a right to protest. The only possible good reason the paper had to fire him is if he mentioned the paper to anyone or wore any clothing with the paper's name suggesting that he was representing the paper. The article doesn't mention this but I wonder.

Erik said...

Possible Theory (again theory) is maybe the paper's editors are pro war and are trying to intimidate the person.