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Aust author released from Cleveland jail

Aussie author Zane Lovitt was caught up in the political drama as the US Republican Party prepared to name Donald Trump as its presidential candidate.

Australian author Zane Lovitt has been released from Cleveland County Jail after he was caught up in an American flag-burning protest outside the Republican National Convention.

Lovitt, 38, from Melbourne, was arrested on Wednesday for failing to disperse and spent almost 24 hours in the jail in Cleveland, Ohio.

"Yes, he just got out," Mickey Osterreicher, general counsel for the US National Press Photographers Association, told AAP.

Lovitt appeared in a Cleveland court on Thursday afternoon, entered a not guilty plea and was released on his own personal bond.

An author of crime novels The Midnight Promise and Black Teeth, Lovitt attended the Cleveland convention as a freelance journalist.

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His wife Kate Freeman said he got caught up in a protest outside Quicken Loans Arena where an American flag was burned.

"From what he told me, he was not able to move out of the area as quickly as they wanted, so he got arrested along with 15 or 20 other people," Ms Freeman said.

Lovitt was not involved in the burning of the flag.

"We gave dispersal orders, they didn't disperse," Cleveland police chief Calvin Williams told reporters.

Lovitt and Ms Freeman are being supported by the NPPA and National Lawyers Guild.

Real estate mogul and former reality TV show star Donald Trump is expected to officially accept the Republican Party's nomination for US president on the final day of the convention on Thursday.

Ms Freeman said her husband was in Cleveland to observe the convention.

"He is fascinated in American politics and wanted to be part of what was happening downtown in terms as an observer and to see if there are any stories he can write," she said.


2 min read

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Source: AAP



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