Canadian journalist arrested, reportedly beaten

From the Ottawa Sun:

Toronto - Jesse Rosenfeld, a Canadian journalist working for Britain's Guardian newspaper, was arrested during the G20 protests Saturday night and beaten by police, according to his friends, family and onlookers.

"We don't know much," Rosenfeld's friend, Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler, told QMI Agency.

"He was hauled off at about 11 p.m. ... Nobody has heard from him since."

Chaleff-Freudenthaler said Rosenfeld, 26, managed to call his girlfriend to let her know he was being arrested. His parents went to the Eastern Avenue G20 holding facility at about 1 a.m., but police there were unable to confirm whether he was in custody.

Steve Paikin, the Gemini-nominated TV Ontario reporter who witnessed the arrest, told QMI Agency Sunday that police have since told Rosenfeld's parents that he is no longer in custody and they don't know where he is.

He said Rosenfeld has one kidney and is asthmatic.

Paikin posted updates to Twitter Saturday night, alerting his followers to Rosenfeld's arrest and alleged mistreatment.

"[T]he journalist identified himself as working for 'the guardian.' he talked too much and pissed the police off. two officers held him," Paikin tweeted Saturday night.

"[A] third punched him in the stomach. totally unnecessary. the man collapsed. then the third officer drove his elbow into the man's back," he tweeted soon after.

According to Chaleff-Freudenthaler, Rosenfeld faced delays and red-tape in getting official media accreditation. Instead, his friend said he had an alternative media pass, normally reserved for bloggers and members of non-governmental organizations.

Chaleff-Freudenthaler is worried about his friend.

"There's no telling what else is happening considering what happened in full view of another journalist," he said. "I'm holding out hope that he is being treated fairly. What else can a friend hope for?"

He said Rosenfeld was a highly ethical person who would want people to focus on the bigger issues, not his personal wellbeing.

"Jesse's view of the world is that it's not really about him,"

Chaleff-Freudenthaler said. "He would want people to know that this happened to a journalist, and it's no way for a democracy to treat its media."

A spokeswoman for the Integrated Security Unit said they do not have information on specific arrests.

Steve Paikin's messages from Twitter:

“they repeated they would arrest me if i didn't leave. as i was escorted away from the demonstration, i saw two officers hold a journalist.”

https://twitter.com/spaikin/status/17137794505

“the journalist identified himself as working for "the guardian." he talked too much and pissed the police off. two officers held him....”

https://twitter.com/spaikin/status/17137826780

“a third punched him in the stomach. totally unnecessary. the man collapsed. then the third officer drove his elbow into the man's back.”

https://twitter.com/spaikin/status/17137863106

“the officer who escorted me away from the demo said, "yeah, that shouldn't have happened." he is correct. there was no cause for it.”

https://twitter.com/spaikin/status/17137918390

“the demonstration on the esplanade was peaceful. it was like an old sit in. no one was aggressive. and yet riot squad officers moved in.”

https://twitter.com/spaikin/status/17138017712