Big-City Activists Figure out How to Blog

November 14, 2011 by Ian
Filed under: Free Manch, Issues, Response

It has been over a year since liberty activists in Manchester launched FreeManch.com, and finally it looks like there is some life being blown into their site. Granted, it’s in response to Will May’s incisive piece posted here to FK, but at least they finally got the ball rolling.

Of course, they seemed to have the ball rolling a year ago before the site died.

For his first post, Manch’s Sovereign Curtis attacks Keene’s civil disobedience and cites the Manchester chalking arrests as an example of Manch’s superior civil disobedience scene. Of course he neglects to mention that the chalking event and the CopBlock event that he cites were started by Keeniacs Pete and Ademo of Liberty on Tour, on their visit to Manchester. Oops!

Rather than acknowledge those trail-blazing Keeniacs who have been doing civil disobedience and noncooperation for years, like Lauren Canario, the Trespassive Twelve, and Disobedient Seven, Curtis suggests Keene activists are a bunch of drunks.

It’s not starting a blog on the most positive footing, but Keeniacs should appreciate the hidden compliment in Curtis’ hitpiece. Despite the fact that Manch is more than four times the population of Keene and as a result already the king-of-the-activist-recruiting-hill, some activists there appear to feel the need to compare the Manch activism to our supposedly un-intelligent movement out West. (I think Curtis is secretly jealous that Keene won the Manch vs. Keene Karaoke competition at this years’ Porcfest.)

Apparently, Manchies were too busy with their Mock Trials to come out and support Pete Eyre in his chalking trial that happened IN Manchester. A few Manchies showed up (late), but were outnumbered by the Keeniacs who had carpooled out to support their friend. I’m sure the mock trials Curtis is promoting are valuable for those with no court experience, and considering that only now are trials actually happening in Manch, it makes sense to have them. Here in Keene, we’ve had various trials happening for years. Nothing can substitute for the experience of actually going to court – something at which Keeniacs are old-hat.

Seriously though, I hope Free Manch works out this time.

http://www.facebook.com/rich.paul.freeman Rich Paul Freeman

Well, if you're gonna claim the Chalkers, I'm going to have to point out that a Manchkin started the Keene 4:20 Rally.
http://freetalklive.com/ Ian

You mean yourself, Rich? Or someone else?

That a Manchie started the rally in Keene speaks volumes about why it wasn't started in Manch – cause there was nothing going on there at the time.

Manch is finally starting to come out of their shell – it's about time.
http://www.facebook.com/rich.paul.freeman Rich Paul Freeman

Actually, the reason I started it in Keene was because I planned to flee the town where I did it once I was done, so I didn't spend the rest of my life being showered with traffic tickets. But then the silly thing wouldn't die! Well, when you have a tiger by the tail, hold on.
http://freetalklive.com/ Ian

Nonetheless, you chose Keene over all the other towns for a reason. ANNND you live here now anyway!
Praet

"I planned to flee the town where I did it once I was done"

yikes.
http://freekeene.com/author/skeptikos/ Skeptikos

"out West"–

I like how you put that. I keep thinking of Keene as frontier activism, now that I'm a bit more aware of goings-on in Manchester. Keene is the wild (sometimes REALLY wild) West of New Hampshire.
Phil

…When I was in Keene I moved Rich down to Manch when Luthor and I went to Taproom Tuesday… he's back… AGAIN is he? Love ya Rich
matt

Obviously the Manchester blog touched a nerve – which is evidenced in this pseudo sarcastic defense. Instead of creating a us v. them – perhaps both groups could listen and learn from each other. There obviously exists some sort of thought process from the people in Manchester regarding the Keene tactics – that blog didn't write itself. Personally – I thought it was well written…sort of a tough love approach and any newbie seeking to involve oneself with a criminal record should heed the Manchester authors' advice.
http://propagandalalaland.blogspot.com/ Julia

IMO, "civ-dis" would make more sense in Manch. Cops there are far worse than they are anywhere else in NH (except for Nashua and Salem, those places are horrid police states).
david-keene

Julia,

Are you going to go to manch where the cops are "far worse" and do civ dis ?

In a effort to achieve anarchy?
http://propagandalalaland.blogspot.com/ Julia

"Are you going to go to manch where the cops are “far worse” and do civ dis ?"

I'm thinking about doing the Black Bloc thing in Manch once I'm back in NH for winter break.
http://freeconcord.org Giggan

To be fair to the Manchites, Pete's trial date was not very publicized beforehand. And I hear the box of chalk which sparked the Manchester chalking 8 incident was brought to the protest by a Concord activist.
Bob Constantine

This is good news! I will check out the Free Manch site. It is good they have the ball rolling.

In the isolated but brilliant idea spawning ground of Grafton where men are men and sheep are nervous, we sometimes hook the Donkey to the wagon and head to the big cities of Keene, Concord and Manchester where there are many fine activists.
http://nhunderground.com Russell Kanning

let the games begin