Six Members of TV News Crews Seized in Salvador Protest

Six television reporters and technicians covering a protest of U.S. military aid to El Salvador found themselves among the ranks of actors Martin Sheen and Ed Asner and other demonstrators arrested Wednesday at the federal building downtown.

The news crew members, who were cited for trespassing and released along with 85 arrested protesters at what has become a weekly demonstration outside the building at 300 N. Los Angeles St., criticized the federal officers as being “overzealous.”

But KABC-TV camera operator Chuck Eader went further. He accused them of harassment aimed at discouraging further protests by preventing news coverage.

“This is an unjust use of police force in a frivolous manner. They have absolutely no right to arrest the news media doing their job,” said Eader, adding that he did not intend to pay the $25 fine levied for first-time arrestees at the demonstrations.

“We are the messengers, not the message. . . . My personal opinion is that they were harassing us, in hopes that if you prevent the news media from covering the story, then people won’t see themselves on TV and they won’t protest any more.”

But Mike Anderson, chief of the Federal Protective Service for Southern California and Arizona, said the cordoned-off areas were clearly marked and the news crews were twice asked to disperse.

“Other reporters moved behind the lines. Those six individuals chose not to do that,” he said.

It was the first time members of the news media have been arrested since the weekly Wednesday demonstrations began last November after six Jesuit priests were slain in El Salvador.

Also cited were KABC-TV reporter Art Rascon, reporter Victor Abalos and camera operator Bob Quinlan of KCOP-TV, and NBC-TV camera operator Youn Choul Lim and sound technician Vernon Thompson.

Calling the arrests “outrageous,” Rascon said KABC will contest the citations.

Heather Allan, bureau chief for NBC-TV in Los Angeles, said the station would write a letter of protest.

“Our crews always do respect police lines. But as I was told by our people, (the federal police) put up the police line when the press was already in front of it,” Allan said. “Then they proceeded to arrest everybody who didn’t get behind it quick enough.”

Jennifer Casolo, a religious worker who jailed for 18 days in El Salvador for allegedly stockpiling guns for rebels, addressed the gathering briefly Wednesday, urging them to continue their civil disobedience. She was not among the arrestees.