The Keene Sentinel is reporting today on yesterday’s mass arrests in Keene. It’s nice to see an article from them that doesn’t mention “Free Staters” or “Free State Project”. Only Free Keene is mentioned here, and that’s far more accurate as liberty activists are not all “Free Staters”. Heika, for instance, is an awesome activist and Keene native who was activated by Pete and Adam of Liberty on Tour. She started coming out to the Nightcaps and then yesterday courageously defied the aggressive Keene PD, which led to her kidnapping and the subsequent arrests. Here’s the article:
Several people affiliated with the libertarian Free Keene movement were arrested in Keene’s Central Square after police responded to a report of a group of people drinking and disrobing Sunday evening, police say.
Police were called to Central Square about 6 p.m. by a passer-by who reported seeing people drinking and taking off their clothes.
When they arrived, they found Heika Courser, 26, of Richmond drinking a beer, partially undressed, while someone painted on her breasts, according to Keene police Lt. Darryl W. Madden.
Courser was charged with having an open alcohol container and resisting arrest. Jonathan E. Ray, 33, of Keene was also issued a summons for an open container.
As Courser was being put into a police cruiser, other people from the group stood in the way of the cruiser trying to pull away, Madden said.
Wesley Gilreath, 20, of Marlborough, Megan Steward, 26, whose address is listed as homeless, Richard G. Paul, 40, of Manchester and Ian “Freeman” Bernard, 29, of Keene were charged with obstructing government administration and disorderly conduct.
Bernard was also charged with resisting arrest, and Paul was charged with common law criminal contempt in connection with a previous arrest, Madden said.
Paul and Bernard were both out on bail on previous charges and are being held at the Cheshire County jail in Keene without bail.
Gilreath and Steward, who also goes by “Meg McLain,” were released on $500 personal recognizance pending an arraignment Sept. 7. Court dates for the others were not available this morning, Madden said.
After the arrests, a group of people followed the cruisers to the police station. Ray and David Dixson, 30, of Keene were issued summonses to Keene District Court for allegedly bringing open containers of alcohol into the lobby of the station, Madden said.
