Chen Guangcheng Escapes House Arrest

April 27, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Corruption, Free Concord, International, Jailed Activist, News 

From freeconcord.org:

Chen Guangchen (left) after his escape, with Hu Jia

Detained human rights activist Chen Guangcheng has escaped the custody of local government officials who had been keeping him under house arrest since 2010. Chen is known as a lawyer who worked to expose forced abortions and sterilizations among 7,000 women in rural China.

While drawing attention to the human rights abuses in 2006, he was brought up on bogus charges of “deliberately destroying property” and “disrupting traffic”. After serving a four year prison sentence, he was confined to his home, where guards kept constant watch to prevent him from communicating with the outside world. Actor Christian Bale attempted to visit the activist in December of last year with a CNN film crew in tow, and was forcibly blocked from the property.

He reportedly escaped on April 22, and made his way to Beijing, where he released a 15 minute video announcing his safe escape and making requests of Chinese Premiere Wen Jiabao. His video statement focuses on urging Wen to investigate the unlawful nature of his detention and the intimidation and physical force used against his supporters, as well as calling for an investigation into corruption at all levels. Read more

Banned from Keene State College for “Free” Speech + Officer Jason Short Sees the Light on Drug War Hypocrisy?

April 24, 2012 by · 10 Comments
Filed under: Copwatch, Corruption, Living Free, National, New Hampshire, News, Personal Freedom, Video 

For years I have been doing outreach at Keene State College. This normally consists of handing out fliers on campus, especially during class changes. Only this year did I ever encounter any trouble from campus security, when they threatened me with a no trespass order if I were to continue handing out information. Upon visiting with one of the college directors in his office, I inquired regarding their policy. I was told that not even KSC students may hand out fliers on campus! I was informed that I could have a table in the student center, just like the students can have. I would be allowed to sit behind the table, quietly, and only interact with people who came up to speak to me.

This was unacceptable to me. It’s highly ineffective. Why sit at a table all day or even for a few hours, when my friends and I can deliver hundreds of fliers in fifteen minutes during class change? Besides, aren’t college campuses advertised as the holy grail of free speech? What a bunch of nonsense.

So, last week on Thursday, I returned to the campus with new mover Daryl Perry. Read more

Shire Choir Performs at the Concord State House

April 23, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Living Free, News, Video 

The Concord Patch has video of the Shire Choir singing anti-drug war carols at the state house during Friday’s 420 celebration: Read more

Concord Patch Reports on 420 Celebration at the State House

April 23, 2012 by · 2 Comments
Filed under: Civil Disobedience, Issues, Living Free, National, New Hampshire, News 

Thanks to the Concord Patch’s Tony Schinella for this report on the successful 420 celebration at the Concord state house:

Advocates of marijuana legalization gathered at the Statehouse on April 20, to push their cause, march in the plaza, and even fill the Hall of Flags with anti-drug war lyrics to the tune of Christmas carols.

The rally – 420 at 4:20 on 4/20 – was a collection of advocates, users, and other “liberty-minded” individuals, pressing their belief that drug laws are more harmful than good and that they should be allowed to smoke if they want to.

The advocates gathered outside the plaza for a litter pickup before the rally. At 4 p.m., Rich Paul, an activist from Keene, spoke from a megaphone, saying prohibition earlier in the nation’s history caused needless death and destruction. Paul even pointed to the recent shootings in Greenland that caused the death of the police chief there. Read more

Keene’s “Free Talk Live”, Ranked #52 on TALKERS’ “Heavy Hundred”!

April 19, 2012 by · 2 Comments
Filed under: Audio, National, News 

My little radio show, Free Talk Live, based here in Keene at the LRN.FM studio, was just ranked at #52 of 100 (up from #79 last year!) in the TALKERS Magazine “Heavy Hundred” yearly list of the “most influential talk radio hosts”. Thank you to all our listeners and stations and supporters who helped make this possible!

Sadly, it is only heard in Keene on WKBK radio on Saturday nights, and that’s when baseball isn’t on. Perhaps someday Monadnock Radio Group will expand our coverage in Keene, considering we scored better on the list than did Boston conservaclone Howie Carr, who ranks at #56, as well as Wall St. Journal’s Michael Castner who is #61.

Full Scanner Audio of KPD Robbery Chase/Killing

April 19, 2012 by · 31 Comments
Filed under: Audio, Copwatch, News, Police, Update 

This nearly 24 minute audio includes all the radio traffic the KPD scanner received between 10pm and Midnight on April 17th, 2012. It’s everything from the initial report from Diversified Computers of noise on the roof, to the shooting of the suspect on Marlboro St., to the manhunt for the other two suspects, to the afterwards.

The Keene police scanner audio reveals that the two suspects were taken into custody AFTER the police shot the third man to death. The Sentinel’s report makes it sound like the reverse happened:

At least one person was on the roof of the building when police arrived. He and another man were taken into custody after a short pursuit, authorities said.
A man who was not captured allegedly left the area in a car and led police on a pursuit to Marlboro Street.

Their mis-reporting led FK’s Ademo to write his opinion piece, in which he assumed the Sentinel got it right and therefore makes several mistaken conclusions. Remember, as you listen to this audio, the blank spaces have been mostly excised from the piece to make it easier to listen. In the full audio, it’s more than ten minutes before officer Jennifer Uhas (118) announces she has the first suspect in custody. Less than a minute later, the second suspect is in custody as well. In their report, the Sentinel claims to have their own scanner – so why the botched reporting?

The audio is pretty intense, and Keene police for the most part, do the best they can to bring aggressors to justice, backed by four state troopers, a couple of county sheriffs, and mutual aid units from Winchester, Dublin, and Troy. Sadly, some officers opted to use deadly force to stop the third suspect from running, which seems entirely inappropriate and even reckless Read more

Banned Forever from All State Liquor Stores – For Singing!

April 18, 2012 by · 15 Comments
Filed under: Living Free, New Hampshire, News, Shire Choir, Update, Video 

In late 2011, the Shire Choir performed “Chronic Carols” in protest of the war on drugs, at a few state liquor stores. If you thought you had the right to assemble and right to free speech, you clearly haven’t attempted to exercise those rights. When you do, (if you do it in a place that matters, like a courthouse or other government property) you’ll find out that you don’t have them at all. Here’s video of me being served with an “order” banning me and Jason Talley and Derrick J from every state liquor store in NH, forever. For singing.

Here’s the text of the “order”: Read more

All Charges Dismissed Against Jason Talley

April 16, 2012 by · 20 Comments
Filed under: Court, Issues, National, New Hampshire, News, Politics, Update 

TalleyCase dismissed without prejudice, over the objection of the State.

Thank you to Assistant County Attorney John Webb and New Hampshire Associate Attorney General Richard Head for being both cordial and helpful adversaries in the legal process. Judge Barry was extremely professional as well, so I thank him also.

Congratulations to Jason Talley and thanks to all the anonymous lawyers who took time to comment, call, and offer advice!

State v. Jason Talley is Tomorrow at 9:00AM – You’re Ordered To Stand

April 15, 2012 by · 14 Comments
Filed under: Corruption, Court, Hypocrisy, Issues, National, New Hampshire, News, Personal Freedom, Politics, Question, Update 

The Cheshire County Superior Court has unequivocally asserted that it is completely within the Court’s prerogative to order violence to force you to stand in the courtroom when instructed. In the past this Court has even done such ridiculous things as ordering law enforcement officers to lift people up by their elbows and ordering people’s arrest for not standing… only to release them five minutes later and wish them a “Merry Christmas.”

This stuff is happening in the United States of America. Really.

As an officer of the Court, I must ask you to comply with the Court’s order and stand under your own power when attending Jason’s trial tomorrow. If you don’t stand, you may be physically lifted or imprisoned.

If you’re unable to stand or are injured, you may just have to explain yourself further.

Remember:

Jason Talley filed a “Motion To Refrain From Authorizing Physical Force To Demand Respect.”

The State objected and supported the notion of continued violence to make people stand.

The Court sided with the State in an stamped order.

Jason filed a “Motion To Reconsider” his original motion asking the Court not to use violence against the public.

The Court denied the “Motion To Reconsider.“

Fed Judge to Orlando: Chalking is a Right

April 14, 2012 by · 3 Comments
Filed under: Civil Disobedience, Corruption, Court, Free Concord, Issues, National, News, Noncooperation, Photos, Police, Thuggery 

Tim Osmar arrested for chalking, Dec 15 2011

After a cost of eighteen days in a cage and a few months of legal threats, there is good news to report on chalking freedom out of Orlando, Florida. The ABA Journal published yesterday that Timothy Osmar, who was twice arrested for chalking at the Orlando city hall plaza, had his rights violated when he was legally kidnapped over protected political speech. US district magistrate David Baker’s ruling deemed the arrest for violation of a city ordinance to be an overreach of a code designed to prevent unauthorized commercial advertising. Unlike NH, Florida’s towns and cities are endowed with the power to write words powerful enough to invoke arrest for their violation.

Prior to the decision Friday, Orlando officials indicated that they would be appealing an “adverse ruling”. The city would find it difficult to play a purer than thou antichalk attitude in this case. Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer encouraged downtown businesses to chalk their sidewalks in support of the home team Magic when they were in the NBA playoffs in 2009. The city also permits a yearly chalk art festival held by the local Rotary Club. David Baker told Orlando bureaucrats, “The city may not selectively interpret and enforce the ordinance based on its own desire to further the causes of particular favored speakers.”

Mayor Dyer did not seem thoroughly interested in the deeper constitutional and moral issues regarding chalking arrests. His comment, while charges were pending was, “This was a guy who wanted to be arrested, by all accounts, and has been… This guy was given every opportunity not to go to jail, but he chose to go to jail.” Read more

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