2011-11-04 "OCCUPY EUREKA DEMONSTRATORS ATTACKED BY LOCAL NBC AFFILIATE"Contact: Occupy Eureka, occupyeureka@gmail.com
Occupy Eureka, corner of 5th and I streets
Eureka, CA: This morning, Friday November 4, 2011, two reporters from KIEM News Channel 3 accosted members of Occupy Eureka on the lawn of the Humboldt County Courthouse. The Occupy Eureka demonstration is one of 1500 world wide that have sprouted up since September 17  in rebellion against corporate control and protesting the fact that 1% of the people have a hugely disproportionate amount of wealth and power over the 99% in our society.
The Channel 3 reporters, Betsy Lambert and Kelly May, aggressively entered the demonstration area, questioning participants about an incident, unrelated to Occupy Eureka. The reporters shoved cameras into peoples' faces, arguably assaulting the demonstrators, then appeared frustrated when no one present had information about the incident. Ms. Lambert and Ms. May then proceeded to force their way into peoples' tents, camera first. The reporters then called the Eureka Police, complaining that a man in a tent pushed their camera.  Later, Ms. Lambert posted on Facebook that an Occupy Eureka demonstrator had "pushed" her cohort, a claim that was then repeated by the Eureka Police in a press release.
On the scene, Ms. Lambert, known locally for being aggressive and inappropriate in her attempts to create a story, spoke to Eureka police, and attempted to block onlookers from filming.  Nonetheless, she was overheard telling officers, “When are you going to evict these people? Twenty-five of the population wants them out." Just two days ago, Ms. May aired a story entitled, “Occupy Eureka: When Will The Arrests Begin?” The biased title seems to promote police action against demonstrators.
The KIEM Channel 3 reporters were aggressive, confrontational and unprofessional. They clearly came with a preconceived motive to discredit Occupy Eureka and distract from the issues raised by the non-violent demonstration which receives popular support locally and nationally. Media bias is a prevalent issue not only for the Occupy Wall Street movement, but also for many movements demanding social justice and opposing corporate dominance and militarization. “We at Occupy Eureka are confident that the community will see through the media bias, and that this incident will reinforce support for this movement.” says participant Sarah Jones.