Nydia Tisdale is a citizen journalist in Georgia. She attends and records public meetings and then uploads the videos to YouTube. She was invited to a Republican event for Governor Nathan Deal in Dawsonville, GA, arrived early to get a front row seat, mingled with visiting politicians and then began to record the speeches. Around 14 minutes into recording, she was abruptly confronted and told she needed to stop. When she protested that she had a right to film a public political event and had permission from one of the owners, she was dragged out and arrested.
The decision to confront Nydia was shortly after Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens mentioned her in a speech:
It's not clear when her presence was no longer welcome. But it appears to begin when Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens made a joke about Democratic Senate Candidate Michelle Nunn.
"I thought I was gonna absolutely puke listening to her," Hudgens said.
He then looked at Tisdale's camera and said, "I don't know why you're video taping."
Jump below the fold for the surprising Republican reaction to the arrest and the full video.
Jim Galloway of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's take on the arrest:
That was as good as Tisdale’s Saturday would get. Within the hour, she would be screaming, bent double over a store counter in her black sun dress, with her arms twisted behind her and a deputy close on her haunches.
All because she had pointed her video camera at Republican candidates. Not a proud moment for a political party in need of female support.
Even Republicans in the crowd were appalled as they watched the events unfold:
Linda Clary Umberger, chairman of the Dawson County GOP, followed the citizen journalist and the officer to an outbuilding. “I watched as a woman was bent over the counter on her face, with an officer over her,” Umberger said. “If I had been her, I would have elbowed him in the face, too.
“I was so upset at how they handled it – I walked out,” said the county GOP chairman. It was one of those seminal events, she said, likely to split relationships and end friendships. The arresting officer, fetchyournews.com would report Wednesday, has been suspended pending an internal investigation.
Attorney General Sam Olens also
criticized the decision to arrest her:
"I thought it was inappropriate. I thought it was unnecessary. I know Mrs. Tisdale, she is a nice lady but my answer would be the same whether I knew her or didn't know her. Folks should have that right to record us," Olens said.
According the Governor Deal's Facebook page, the event was
public and Nydia Tisdale RSVP'd on the page, confirming her attendance. Although one of the owners gave her permission to film, at some point they must've
changed their mind:
CBS 46 tried contacting the Burts but the calls were not returned. The Burts did tell Dawsonnews.com,Tisdale misled them and they told Wooten to make Tisdale stop recording or leave.
The full video is below. The confrontation begins shortly after the 14-minute mark.
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