social worker from New York City was arrested

Watch What You Tweet

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Posted on Oct 6, 2009

Flickr / G20Voice

A Twitter user sends an update from the G20 rally.

By Amy Goodman

A social worker from New York City was arrested last week while in Pittsburgh to participate in the G-20 protests, then subjected to an FBI raid this week at his home—all for using Twitter. Elliot Madison faces charges of hindering apprehension or prosecution, criminal use of a communication facility and possession of instruments of crime. He was posting to a Twitter feed (or tweeting, as it is called) publicly available information about police activities around the G-20 protests, including information about where police had been ordered to disperse protesters.

While alerting people to public information may not seem to be an arrestable offense, be forewarned: Many people have been arrested for the same “crime”—in Iran, that is.

Last June 20, as Iranians protested against the conduct and results of their national election, President Barack Obama said in a statement, “The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.” http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20091006_watch_what_you_tweet/

So where do we go from here, are we heading for a police state? As a social worker, where would the NASW'S code of ethics be applied. This social worker was acting in the best interest of those activists who are dissenting from the status quo in an effort to reveal the truth. Are we going to put our bodies down on the cogs of the capitalistic machinery, or are we going to be scared into suppression and oppression? Are we now beyond big brother, who is controlling this behavior, I bet this kind of news is not going on MSBC, let alone main stream news.

Perhaps I am perverse, but I was heartened that a social worker got busted, I am proud to know that our community is stepping up and taking risks. We need to support activists especially when they are putting themselves on the line.