Who do you call when the police are the problem?

MINNEAPOLIS—Two University of Kentucky journalism students and their newspaper adviser remained jailed Tuesday night, more than a day after they were swept up with nearly 300 others during protests in downtown St. Paul. Police arrested students Edward C. Matthews and Britney D. McIntosh along with adviser Jim Winn on Monday afternoon. All came to the Twin Cities to document protests held in response to the Republican National Convention, meeting this week in St. Paul.

Matthews' father, Tom Matthews, heard about his son's arrest Tuesday morning, then saw him in an Associated Press photo that showed him turning away from a stream of pepper spray.

"I feel for him," his father said. "He's taking it in the chops."

Matthews, of Lexington, Ky., spent much of Tuesday trying to learn whether his 21-year-old son would face charges or be released from the Ramsey County jail before being told he'd remain in jail for a second night.

The three arrested are affiliated with the University of Kentucky student newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel (below). Matthews is a photographer, McIntosh is the multimedia editor and Winn is the paper's photo adviser.

Editor Brad Luttrell said the three traveled to St. Paul for the experience of working with professional journalists on a big story, not to cover the convention for the college paper.

"Their intent was to document. They were not protesters," Luttrell said. "They were doing what all the other journalists were there to do." The photo of Matthews reacting to pepper spray was atop the Kernel's Web site on Tuesday, and Luttrell said it would be the 17,000-circulation daily newspaper's top story Wednesday.

"What's troubling to me is the censorship that's involved here," Luttrell said. "If the police arrest our journalists and they can't tell what's going on, then who is there to describe it?"

Matt Rourke, the AP photographer whose picture showed Matthews, also was arrested, though it wasn't clear if both were arrested in the same incident. Rourke was released hours later and not charged.

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This is outraging!!!!!!!!!!!! When cops start dying from retaliation all over the world, then we'll know the end is here.

They're like nazis. And i believe this is symbolic....all this violence and power struggle at the RNC is a bad omen. the DNC was peaceful, only small protesting....some unknown force is trying to sound the alarm.

You call the Ghost busters... that was an easy one.

right on beatrix, right on!

That's why some people have no respect for police these days.. I guess we'll have to start relying on ourselves.

The answer to the question (the title) is the ACLU, but that just treats the symptom, not the cause. The disparity between rich and poor, and the disappearance of the middle class are to blame.

Type in "The criminal high Cabal"

I guess we just need to admit it; if we just stay home, don't create any form of criticism of the government, we will be just fine. maybe?

Ok...try this.....if we just go to work, shop and then go home and watch tv....yeah that should do it!

You have to fight back at great risk to yourselves if it is that bad.

It is a horrible situation and very scary and dangerous.

You stand to lose a lot.

But we have a lot of recorded history to use as examples. People make change when they fight back against corruption and oppression. It is often hard to identify your situation as one that is need of drastic measures. Our entire systems are made to adapt to situation regardless of how bad they get but when you are granted that moment of clarity and perspective on your situation you are defined by your reaction.

A hero stands up for what is right despite the danger.

Not everyone can be a hero, I realize that. However, your nation needs people, good, normal people to get organized and take a stand against your police because they are a real danger to the public and it has gotten way out of hand.

To be quite honest it is shocking to see americans be so complacent with their rights and freedoms being pissed on so openly.

A police officer arresting a journalist. What country are we in? This is only done when someone needs to cover up the truth. Similar instances happen in Africa all the time when governments do not want the world to see what they are doing. These officers should be ashamed of themselves. Probably bullies in High School =)....

I hope thw ACLU tears these Nazis a new one. I believe in the rule of law but police brutality and police misconduct is not needed to enforce it. The only way to stop this is to send these redneck elements to prison with the rest of the criminals.

What the fuck is wrong with these cops?

This is the last straw.

I'm going to kidnap ten young long-legged women, take over and fence in a 40 acre Amish homestead, and live the rest of my days without television or the computer.

The reason I need ten young long-legged women is I have absolutely no clue as to how to attach a plow to a horse.

Maybe I won't...four older women might be more fun and there is a grocery store near by.

There's no apostrophe in a possessive 'its'. It should read:

Censorship at its worst.

I think people need to understand that Police Officers on Duty will act according with their instructions, events and locations. Trying to blame all Police Officers is like trying to blame all the soldiers for he War. Do you think that it is fair?

I think peaceful protest does counts to send the Country and the World a message. However would be much better to participate daily or once a week of the Legislative, Executive and Judiciary process. That would be the other smart thing to do. Very easy to say, not so easy to do according with the actual system we have.

I remember when this was a free country :-(

ever notice how the cops who are abusing their authority are always big beefy and overweight?

that fat ass cop is intentionally aiming for the kid with the camera...that tells me they really want to eliminate any record of their actions.

hmmm...wonder why that is...

accountability perhaps

Why does the thread of the previous comments on this story sound like everyone is surprised at the actions of the police???

It has been a very long time, if ever, since the police in this country could be trusted to 'do the right thing'. Remember Kent State? And that was the National Guard, not local police. Imagine if they were called out today for some 'domestic' issue; those guys are so strung out from being stuck in Iraq, they would probably shoot everybody. Call it 'stress disorder'.

The local police; city, county, state, as well as the feds are functioning on a level unprecedented in our history. The influx of seized assets, which has fueled the stockpiling of weaponry and all the latest gadgets, has been selfishly withheld for that purpose.

The police state that we are experiencing in this country is being funded by the illegal drug trade in a sense. The assets that are confiscated as a result of illegal drug activity should be reinvested in the public community where the seizure was made.

Come on Amerika, wake up and smell the pepper spray, it is better than napalm.

The best response to the state of the world is to make a difference - today.

Several acts of kindness each week - or day - can quickly turn these feelings into hope, community and friendship.

Letters to the editors of local papers, praise for the journalists courage and donations to civil rights organizations, freedom of the press groups or the ACLU would be appropriate.

By stopping the ripples of despair we become real magicians - performing alchemy - turning the darkness into light.

Begin by believing what you do makes a difference in the world and act as if everything you say or do returns to you...

Because it does...

The police were out of control only because of an insurance policy that covered the first $10 million in liability lawsuits..... there should be a law against that.

Justright is right and as the middle class dissappears and the gap between the rich and poor widens the dissent will get worse and the America we know will be no more. Look at countries like Mexico or Hati or parts of Africa and look at the unrest there. The protests will turn to riots if they haven't already, but it will get much worse and as the economy worsens and jobs dry up the situation worsens. The haves against the have not's no middle man anymore. It is a tragic day coming for America unless a decent leader is elected to turn this country around and make it a great country again and and restore the American dream. I hope this community organizer can organize America because McCane sure as hell can't.

Even the police cannot erase every image. Your picture was taken a thousand times today.