In light of Current TV host Keith Olbermann’s firm and unconditional Tweet “‘No Occupy Rapes, No Cover-Up, No Apology, No Retraction,” it’s worth remembering that @KeithOlbermann actually suspended his own Twitter account in 2010 over allegations made by many — including liberal reporter Tommy Christopher — that Olbermman and Countdown guest Michael Moore had treated rapes allegations with levity.
On December 15th, 2010 Christopher reported on Mediaite;
Filmmaker Michael Moore is in hot water over comments he made during Tuesday night’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann. In discussing rape allegations against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, Moore appeared to dismiss the accusations as “hooey” (although he was actually referring to what he views as the use of the allegations as a pretext to silence Assange), and repeated the false claim that Assange is only accused of having a condom break during consensual sex.
Two days later, the controversy had spread due to Olbermann’s lies and arrogance. As Christopher and Mediaite reported on the 17th:
On Tuesday’s Countdown, host Keith Olbermann and guest Michael Moore sparked widespread outrage over their dismissive treatment of rape allegations against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. An online protest ensued, and as Michael Moore ignored pleas for a correction, Olbermann tried to fend off criticism on Twitter. When he was unwilling to respond to legitimate questions regarding his handling of the allegations, Olbermann announced that he was quitting Twitter until the “frenzy” died down. If Sady Doyle, the woman who started the protest that forced him off Twitter, is any indication, he could be waiting a long time, and taking serious damage in the process.
It’s significant to note that Olbermann was being attacked largely by the left on this issue. Even Salon writer Sady Doyle flayed Olbermann’s lack of journalistic ethics and explained why it mattered:
People trust journalists: If a journalist says something, like “the term ‘rape’ in Sweden includes consensual sex without a condom”(Olbermann’s own, demonstrably false, as-yet-unredacted words), most people will believe that what he has said is true, and act as if it is true, without doing further research. Because the job of a journalist is to tell people the truth, to give them all of the information they will reasonably need, and to redact and correct his statements if they are later proven wrong. Statements made by journalists, particularly those as prominent as Olbermann, have measurable impact on how people make decisions: MariahWestwind is basically quoting Keith Olbermann. There’s a rape investigation going on, and Mariah doesn’t know it. Because Mariah trusted Keith Olbermann to tell her the truth, and Keith Olbermann failed to honor that.
As Keith Olbermann dishonors the victims of rape and sexual assaults at Occupy, Olbermann’s new boss at Current TV — former U.S. Vice President Al Gore — would do well to remember how Olbermann is failing rape victims once again.
A reminder on the documented rapes and sexual assaults:
The following is a small sample of various news reports about rape and other sexual crimes during just a one-month period of the Occupy movement. These reports come from both local and national news outlets incite crimes that happened in a variety of cities.
Rapes & Various Sexual Crimes – 10/16 – 11/19 2011
- Madison, WI: 10-27-2011 — Madison Occupiers Lose Permit Due to Public Masturbation
- Cleveland: 10/18/2011 — ‘Occupy Cleveland’ Protester Alleges She Was Raped
- Seattle: 10/18/2011 — Man Accused of Exposing Self to Children Arrested
- Cleveland: 10/29/2011 — Rape Reported at Occupy Cleveland
- Dallas: 10/24/2011 — Police Investigating Possible Sexual Assault Of Teen At Occupy Dallas
- Portland: 10/16/2011 — Sex Offender Registers Occupy Portland Camp as Address
- Lawrence, KS: 10/25/2011 — Sexual Assault Reported at Occupy Camp
- Glasgow: 10/26/2011 — Woman Gang-Raped
- Manchester, NH: 10/28/2011 — Woman charged with pimping teen recruited at Occupy NH rally
- NY: 10/30/2011 — Woman Assaulted in Her tent
- NYC: 11/3/2011 — Occupier Busted In Tent Grope, Suspected In Rape
- Chula Vista, CA: 11/6/2011 — Underage Girl Missing From Occupy Protests
- Philadelphia, PA: 11/13/2011 — Occupier Arrested for Rape
- Austin, TX: 11/15/2011 — Occupier Accused of Masturbating in Front of 16 Year-old Girl
- Chicago, IL: 11/16/2011 — Occupier Arrested for Child Porn
- St. Louis, MO: 11/18/2011 — Woman Sexually Assaulted
- NYC: 11/19/2011 — Occupier Arrested for Forcibly Touching Woman
It’s difficult to put a number on the exact number of rapes and other sexual crimes connected with the Occupy movement because there’s been a deliberate pattern of cover-up and deception by both the assailants themselves and Occupy leadership in various cities. The flat denial of rape and sexual assault as “made up” by Mr. Moulitsas continues this trend.
Here’s a short list of stories about attempts from a number of cities to cover up rapes during a two-week period in 2011.
Rape Cover Up – 10/ 18 – 10/31 2011
- New York: 10/25/2011 — Three Men Threatened to Kill 24-Year-Old Occupy Wall Street Protester for Reporting Rape
- Baltimore: 10/18/2011 — #OccupyBaltimore Discourages Sexual Assault Victims from Contacting Police
- Boston: 10/20/2011 — Occupy Boston Doesn’t Want Police Involved in Rape
- NY: 10/10/2011 — Sex, Drugs and Hiding from the Law at Wall Street Protests
- Ottawa: 10/31/2011 — #OccupyOttawa Violent & Sexual Assaults Not Reported to Police
Portland, OR: 10/27/2011 — Sexual Assault: ‘nobody should contact the police’ — Video
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