BART police consider restricting media and threaten them with arrest.

San Fransico, CA - Bay Area Rapid Transit police were considering new restrictions on the media following the handcuffing and detention of at least six professional and student journalists at a protest.

BART Deputy Police Chief Daniel Hartwig said one idea was to have designated areas for media with a police line. Police would then arrest those who cross the line.

Another idea was to have police issue an order to the media to step aside when officers move in to control a crowd.

"We're damned if we do, and we're damned if we don't," Hartwig said. "But I don't want to leave anyone with the impression that we want to restrict their ability to demonstrate, or their ability to report the news."

The journalists who were detained on Thursday at the Powell Street BART station, including a reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle, were covering a protest against BART and its police force.

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/09/10/3899126/bart-considers-new-restrictions.html