NYC PARK EAST
SYNAGOGUE, January 26 – In the
wake of the murders at the
Tree of Life Synagogue in
Pittsburgh, Inner City Press
on 2 November 2018 went to
cover a memorial event at
Manhattan's Park East
Synagogue. As it stood in line
with others to be screened,
the UN Security detail of UN
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres, one of the speakers,
pointed out Inner City Press.
One heard audibly into the
microphone in his ear, "He's
going in." But once in, Inner
City Press was told to go up
to the balcony with the rest
of the media including
photographers. It was setting
up its recording equipment
when a non-UN security man
told it to follow up. In the
basement he said, "Go,"
opening a door out to 67th
Street. Inner City Press asked
why. Audio here.
On January 26, as the scene of
the censorship, there was
Guterres and adviser from the
French Mission to the UN
Tanguy Stehelin. On the first
floor in VIP seating was the
pianist husband of Guterres'
Global Censor Sergei Dreznin,
with Smale presumably
upstairs. The ceremony was
moving - but these UN censors
are disgusting, Dreznin when
we last covered
him, before being
roughed up by Guterres'
Security, told Inner City
Press to dress better and be
polite Smale or face
consequences. Stehelin seems a
nice
enough person but he has
stood by and supported
censorship, and his boss'
support of Paul Biya's
slaughter of Anglophones in
Cameroon. Ironically,
given Guterres' actual record
in Cameroon and elsewhere, the
topic on January 26 was
Genocide. Smale said she would
take "under advisement" the
ban on Inner City Press she
caused - but nothing. Her
promise including to
UNSR David Kaye that
written questions would be
answered has not been complied
with in more
than two weeks. We'll
have more on this. But
to the Park East Synagogue's
credit, when Inner City Press
went on January 26, 2019 to
cover Guterres' speech, it was
allowed in, seated with
Synagogue members who
whispered that perhaps things
are not as good with the UN as
was being said from up front.
Rabbi Arthur Schneier, who had
moving stories of the
Holocaust, lavished praise on
the UN while some in the
audience squirmed.
Troublingly, Guterres was
presented as for never again -
while he has stood by, even
taken a golden statue and UN
Budget Committee favors from
for example Cameroon's 36-year
ruler Paul Biya, killing
Anglophones at will. Those in
the sanctuary seemed open to
looking for trust and we trust
they will. We'll have more on
this. After asking Guterres
spokesman Stephane Dujarric in
writing to explain this,
without any answer, on
November 2 Inner City Press
asked Dujarric the question as
he emerged with three others
from an expensive lunch in the
Aretsky's Patroon restaurant
and rooftop bar near the UN.
Video on 46th Street here.
Dujarric didn't answer by what
authority Guterres had tried
to get Park East Synagogue to
throw Inner City Press - not
much respect for the religious
institution and its integrity
in that attempt - but instead
said twice that ultimately the
attempt was not
successful and that Inner City
Press attended. No thanks to
the UN or Guterres. Now for
January 26 Guterres just back
from a junket to Switzerland
says he will go to Park East
Synagogue again, during a UN
Security Council meeting on
Venezuela. His spokes- /
hatchetman Stephane Dujarric,
or perhaps just Farhan Haq,
said, "Saturday, 26 January In
the morning, the
Secretary-General will attend
the Park East Synagogue in
Manhattan for a ceremony
marking the International Day
of Commemoration in Memory of
the Victims of the Holocaust.
He is expected to express his
alarm at rising anti-Semitism,
the proliferation of neo-Nazi
groups and growing
discrimination against
minorities, migrants, refugees
and others." In the interim
Guterres has told UN staff in
a closed door meeting
whistleblowers leaked video
to Inner City Press from that
human rights questions to
governments are impolite and
arrogant. This is a sell out
of the UN. And censoring the
Press is the newest low. We'll
have more on this.
The evening before Inner City
Press similarly asked the
Deputy Director of the
Committee to Protect
Journalists Robert Mahoney
about Guterres' attempted
censorship at the synagogue
and Mohoney said he hadn't
heard of that. Well, now he
and CPJ have. Broadway video here.
Back on October 31 the
Synagogue's security man
reached over and turn off
Inner City Press' recorder.
Ultimately when Inner City
Press demonstrated what it
writes and streams about, the
office -- Shay Amir, head of
security - allowed Inner City
Press back to the balcony. So
here are Inner City Press'
photos of the event on Alamy,
here.
Inner
City Press
photos of two
of Guterres'
Security
involved in
this
censorship here.
Inner
City Press from the balcony,
before noon, e-mailed
questions to Guterres
spokesman Stephane Dujarric,
Alison Smale who told UNSR
David A. Kaye questions would
be answered, Deputy Amina J.
Mohammed and others: "October
31-1: Immediately explain the
basis on which SG Guterres'
Security tried to get Park
East Synagogue head of
security Shay Amir to have
Inner City Press removed from
his speech about tolerance."
Hours later, the UN refused to
answer this question, and one
on the missionary killed by
Cameroon, while send a single
canned answer on Sri Lanka.
Also at the event were, among
others, Bronx congressman
Engel, US Deputy Ambassador
David Cohen, Israel's Danny
Danon. Guterres has yet to
speak or have his spokesman
Stephane Dujarric answer Inner
City Press' question about
Cameroon killing missionary
Charles Wesco, despite
promises by UN USG Alison
Smale to UNSR David Kaye that
questions would be answered. What
has the UN
become, under
Guterres?
The UN maintains a secret list
of people banned from entering
its premises. On October 24
while barring Inner City Press
from events on Burundi, Syria
and Cameroon, UN Security
Inspector Matthew Sullivan
said the list would not be
provided to Inner City Press
as it is an "internal
document." He returned to brag
that the UN spoke with and
even affirmatively called NYPD
- the NY Police Department to
which Inner City Press
directed a Freedom of
Information Law request about
their knowledge of and
collusion with the UN's barred
list -- presumably to hinder
the release of any
information, or to retalate.
Video here. Things are getting
worse and worse at Antonio
Guterres' UN. Inner City Press
has appealed to both the
Mayor's Office including
International Affairs' Penny
Abeywardena and to NYPD,
through the OpenRecords portal
it like all New Yorkers is
directed to, thusly: "As a
journalist banned even today
from the UN - told that I am
on the no due process "barred"
list that is one of the
subjects of this FOIL request
I requested and am requesting
expedited processing of -
Today UN Security Inspector
Matthew Sullivan in barring me
from events on Burundi and
Syria said that the UN was
called by and called the New
York City government,
presumably about this request
and to impede or delay any
response. He called the UN
barred list an "internal
document." This is contrary to
US Constitutional (and
international human) rights -
but the purpose of this
interim appeal is in this new
light to demand expedited
response of all records in
your possession about this
list, to avoid or mitigate
collusion in the violation of
an American (and New York)
journalist's First Amendment
rights. For your information,
and in support of this appeal,
UN Inspector Sullivan bragging
about impeding this FOIL
request is now online here.
Please confirm receipt,
respond to this appeal and
provide the responsive
documents asap. -Matthew Lee,
Inner City Press." In further
Kafka-esque response, while
the NYPD response said to that
portal "to view additional
information and take any
necessary action," now NYPD's
Records Access Officer Richard
Mantellino says "Please be
advised that this email cannot
accept FOIL requests and/or
respond to inquiries or
matters related to such." So
who should we ask - the UN's
Matthew Sullivan? Antonio
Guterres? Watch this site?
Even the Security officers who
enforce the ban are not told
the reason why a person is on
the list: whether it was for
actual violence, or writing
articles questioning the
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres' misuse
of public funds, for example.
One told Inner City Press the
secret list includes
"demonstrators" and "political
activists," audio here.
Since the City of New York
works with the UN including
this banned list which
includes New York City
journalists, Inner City Press
in mid October 2018 submitted
a request under the Freedom of
Information Law - but the
Office of Mayor Bill de Blasio
and his Mayor's Office of
International Affairs under
Penny Abeywardena are trying
to delay response for SIX
MONTHS until April 2019. Here
is the request: "On behalf of
Inner City Press and in my
personal capacity this is a
request under FOIL for all
records in the possession of
the NYC Office of the Mayor
including the Mayor’s Office
for International Affairs
(MOIA; collectively OOM)
regarding the exclusion of
persons in the last three
years from premises of the
United Nations, in and around
First Avenue and 42-48th
Streets in Manhattan,
including of NYC residents
including journalists. This is
also a request for all records
in the same time period of the
review, suspension or
revocation of pistol permits
for any UN personnel including
but not limited to UN
Department of Safety and
Security personnel and the
grounds therefore. To assist
you in identifying and
producing the responsive
records on an expedited basis,
I personally was physically
ousted from the UN by UN DSS
Lieutenant Ronald Dobbins and
another unnamed on 3 July 2018
as I staked out and covered,
as a journalist, the UN Budget
Committee meetings. On 4 July
2018 I filed a report at the
NYPD's 17th Precinct, despite
being told - erroneously I now
believe, including based on
how my First Amendment rights
have been impacted - that all
UN personnel have total
immunity. The report number is
#2018-017-2848. See also, The
UK Independent, here.
On 5 July 2018 when I went to
the UN to continue my work as
a journalist I was told I am
“banned.” I have since been
told that the UN has a
“current and active barred
notice” against me, that there
is a banned list that includes
“demonstrators” and “political
activists.” I am still banned
today, after 104 days. See
also,
https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/independent-journalist-matt-lee-forcibly-removed-un-stripped-press-credentials/
and
https://www.cjr.org/the_profile/reporter-expelled-un.php
I find this deeply troubling
and worth of urgent Press
coverage. This request
includes but is not limited to
all records related to the
above, related to any
knowledge by OOM including
MOIA of any UN “banned” list
and how it is compiled, and
what due process protections
if any are in place, etc. Also
any knowledge by OOM including
MOIA of any disciplinary
measures taken against UN
Security officers or other
personnel, at least for the
past three years. I am also
requesting any record in your
possession referring to "Inner
City Press" for the past ten
years, with the past three
years to be provided on an
expedited basis. I am
requesting expedited process
and a waiver of fees - Inner
City Press is a non profit
news organization that
educated the public about the
operations of government(s)
and routinely receives fee
waivers from agencies at the
Federal, state and local
level." And here is the
response, to which we are
preparing an appeal: "The
Mayor's Office (OOM) has
acknowledged your FOIL
request... You can expect a
response on or about Friday,
April 26, 2019.
Additional Information:
Due to the volume of requests
that we have received, we now
estimate that we will be able
to provide you with a response
on or before the above date."
Disgusting. We will have more
on this.
Guterres
or apparently his head of
Global Communications Alison
Smale, if only as a proxy, can
put a journalist on the list
without any review, any
notice, any appeal. It is a
dictator's dream come true.
Inner City Press was
physically ousted twice by
Guterres' UN Security this
summer as it reported on his
now-15 flights to his home in
Lisbon with public funds, his
trading away of Cameroon human
rights abuses for favors in
the Budget Committee, and now
his son Pedro's undisclosed
business links in Africa.
Smale on August 17, without
once speaking to me covering
the UN for Inner City Press
for 11 years, withdrew my
media accreditation.
But it's
gone further than that. For
example, on October 11 I
showed up for a film screening
about sex trafficking, “Love
Sonia,” to which I had been
invited by the UN Office of
Drugs and Crimes. UNODC's New
York director personally put
me on the list for a post
screening reception and came
and met me and took me to the
UN gate to sign me in, since
my ticket - which she said
she'd seen - mysteriously
disappeared.
UN
Security refused to allow the
NY director of UNODC to sign
me in. “Even if he had a
ticket we'd have to check,”
one officer said. I was told
that a supervisor would come
out, and that UNODC would
speak to them. But after one
hour it never happened.
Guterres' chief of staff Maria
Luiza Viotti left the building
and I audibly told her, I'm
invited but I'm being blocked.
She did not even break stride.
The UN has
given me nothing in writing
that I am banned. Guterres'
spokesman has stated it as a
fact, without explanation or
rationale, on October
9 and 11, while refusing
to answer my e-mailed
questions despite Smale's
promise they would be answered
to supposedly respect my
"journalistic endeavours."
Another UN Security officer
told me, No one is going to
help you. You are on the list.
I asked him, who else is on
the list? He mentioned
“demonstrators” and "political
activists" and others. Audio here.
Tellingly,
NOT on Guterres' banned list
are those who pleaded guilty
to UN bribery for example
in the Ng Lap Seng - John Ashe
case. They are not banned by
Guterres, UNlike the
journalist who most closely
covered those convictions, and
the current
UN bribery case of Patrick Ho
and the China Energy Fund
Committee. Guterres is fine
with bribery, but bans those
who investigate and expose it.
UNSG Guterres
thinks he can ban people
without no notice, no due
process, no review? And that
it won't be noticed or
reviewed? Watch this site.
***
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