Chris Waid (right), safely demonstrating for NH independence, in the median on Main St. in Keene in 2016.
Longtime Manchester Cop Blocker Riaz Kahan stated that the interdiction was a major success, with 90% of cars that were intending to turn towards the checkpoint being redirected to another route, avoiding unnecessary police harassment. Manchester police conduct at least a few of these checkpoints per year and activists from all over the state are attracted to help. It’s another unprecedented level of activism that happens easily and regularly in New Hampshire, since there are active migrations of libertarians moving here. (Check out 101 reasons why, here.)
However, for the first time in the history of Manchester’s checkpoints, an activist was arrested. Not for DUI, but for crossing the street, walking toward the checkpoint.
Keene-based activist and privacy-centric computer hardware entrepreneur Christopher Waid was the victim of the police’s most recent attack on freedom of the press. We were merely trying to cross the street so as to better observe the police’s unconstitutional checkpoint activity. However as we began to approach the median multiple police shouted at us including officer #1, Robert Harrington, who you may remember as the cop who popped Derrick J Freeman’s car door open without permission several years back. Here’s the video of Chris’ arrest and post-bail interview:
Chris is a weekly co-host on syndicated radio show Free Talk Live, where we discussed the arrest on last Friday’s show. He’s a rare breed – a business owner who is willing to put his very freedom on the line. If more business owners had this level of courage, they could just ignore the government rather than obey them, and the government would have to go away.
In addition to standing up for freedom of the press, Chris is an active police accountability activist, with many hours logged in the streets, recording cops. It is his right to stand where he wants, so long as he’s not actively interfering in police investigations. By standing in the median, he’s taking his risk and the police have no obligation to protect him, especially from himself. If they try to use the argument that them yelling at him was for his own safety, that hopefully won’t hold up in court. We’ve been in medians frequently for activism in Keene and police here have been mostly respectful towards us. By the way, Chris is a homeowner in Keene, to which he moved his linux hardware business, Think Penguin in early 2016.
He’s currently facing a “Disorderly Conduct” Class A charge – the police’s favorite catch-all to target people they don’t like. Of course, we’ll continue to follow Chris’ case closely here on Free Keene, so stay tuned.
🙂 Step 1: Let the beast turn an otherwise non-event into public outcry. Step 2: Run for a rep seat. 3. Declare war on Tyranny.
dont you think undoing things is a option if you DO become a rep?
Good job Chris! We need more activists like this who will fight the good fight.
It’s about time someone is arrested. How close you stand to a police operation is up to the police. You had a fine advantage point from the sidewalk. I believe arrests will be more and more in the copblockers and freekeeners future. Ian was talking tough until his friend, who was practically begging to be arrested, was arrested. Then you went back to the sidewalk.
Yes Jacks, it absolutely was, wasn’t it? And to think, had the police not stopped him in time that ne’er-do-well could very well have caught them doing something completely untoward – you know, like planting evidence.
I agree with all your commentary, JJ. As a life-long New Hampshireite and libertarian, I am sick of these Free Staters interpreting our state motto as license to do things without thinking or research. I happily pay my taxes, pay my parking fines, and go through checkpoints with impunity. Do I let police search my car? No! However, are checkpoints legal in NH? Yes! Maybe these people should tackle homelessness or drug abuse. Moving to NH so they can bug cops is dumb. Are cops always right? No. But my father, who was a social liberal and two-star general, always… Read more »
Captain Jack, you are not in anyway a libertarian. Libertarian is not whatever you want to define it as. It is someone who believes generally in freedom and smaller government. DUI checkpoints, which accomplish absolutely nothing, are not small government. The Founders would have had a cow. John Stark wouldve had two. Movers have done plenty of work tackling homelessness, by opposing regulations and zoning laws that make affordable housing illegal and also raising money to donate to food charities. We have also done loads to help fight drug abuse by promoting marijuana legalization (which will reduce opioid use) and… Read more »
i dont know what to think of this type of vid anymore.. is the crap cris is going to have to deal with etc and even whats happened so far … going to be worth it…… imo at least that cop is on video acting like he’s king bully boss… though lotsa people will probably think its ok he acted like that…… there is something to be said for cops having to try and keep things less distracting and unorderly while doing a traffic stop.. traffic stops can be dangerous and you never know what will happen or who you… Read more »
i just hope this shit just gets dismissed … before it starts… i dont want to see cris get shit for this shit
I disagree David Crawford. The supreme court has ruled these checkpoints do not interfere with anyone’s constitutional rights. They do work. The PD sets the distance you can be from their operations or scene. Ian’s buddy took it upon himself to break the law and get himself arrested. In the future, I’m sure there will be more arrests in the very near future as freekeeners and copblockers continue to think they can do what ever they want. I don’t believe there will be many judges who will side with them.
Jacks, Jacks, Jacks. don’t you think it’s naive of you to be putting so much of your faith into the ostensible opinions of court justices? I wonder why it still hasn’t occurred to you that people of influence might be inclined to use their authority to deceive the rest of us about our rights?
There is no denying that checkpoints are unconstitutional. The British setup checkpoints to investigate the communications and activities of our Founding Fathers. Thats why the Fourth Amendment explicitly prohibits checkpoints without a warrant. Unfortunately, the courts sporadically follow the constitution. Remember, Dred Scott was constitutional, as was segregation. What the courts say means absolutely nothing.
Well said JL, Unfortunately, Jacks’s mind operates quite a bit differently from ours. It doesn’t occur to him that, since supreme court justices are appointed for life, they can’t be held unaccountable for their decisions. It also never enters his mind that this is precisely why they are so dangerous, as that allows them to interpret the constitution arbitrarily, reflecting whatever political ambitions the party currently in power has.
These people should be doing something that affects us all, like the 112% tax on electricity; the Politicians getting u to pay for someone’s else’s pet projects; special interest groups getting politicians to raise your taxes.
Bill Fortune, THE PEOPLE’S LOBBY 603 365 0251 indust.consult@rcn.com
Aren’t libertarians supposed to stick up for each other and help out their brothers and sisters in times of trouble? Do you notice that Ian wonders what the consequence would be to cross the line and j-walk up to the police, and then turns away and hides when his idiot friend gets arrested? It shows how weak of a group you freedom fighters really are. You did a good job Ian, at throwing your friend under the bus, and into the fire. No wonder why your numbers are dwindling.
It looks like your competition hasn’t been dwindling at anywhere near the rate you’ve been hoping they would, now are they KC darling?
http://dailycaller.com/2016/05/04/libertarian-party-memberships-have-increased-more-than-fivefold-in-the-past-year/
I think (although I do nor know, nor can I confirm) that the respondent meant that the Free Keene group has had dwindling membership. You are right that the libertarian movement is growing. I, for one, don’t count Free Keene folk as true libertarians. Libertarians are advocates for civil liberties. Free Keene folk are (often) paranoid, aggressive instigators with a semi-anarchistic agenda. I’ve seen them here in Keene screaming at parking attendants. They certainly don’t speak for the brand of NH libertarianism I was raised on.
You havent demonstrated that you were raised on any brand of libertarianism, Capn. You seem to really love big invasive government and oppose civil liberties like driving across the bridge without being harassed.
The fact that you “happily” pay your taxes and fines doesn’t give me much cause to believe your claims, Captain Jack. Based on the rest of your remarks, you seem much more like a moderate democrat like our dear friend Jacks here than you are a libertarian. If you really are a libertarian, than you should know as well as the rest of us that the core of libertarian belief is as follows: 1. No one has the natural right to violate another person’s life, liberty, or property. 2. The only legitimate role of government (assuming a government is agreed… Read more »
Yes Captain Jack that is exactly what I meant. Free Keene’s numbers and reputation has been dwindling. And yes, Free Keeners are not true libertarians. That is why they were kicked out of the FSP. I wish the FSP all the luck in their endeavors.
KC darling, you know very well that Ian wasn’t expelled from the FSP. He resigned. You know dear, telling lies in hopes of discrediting your rivals really isn’t a very effective strategy. You really should consider devising a better one before it’s too late. Otherwise you’re going to damage the reputation of this new alias of yours beyond repair. You don’t want that now do you?
@Drac -“…Ian wasn’t expelled…”
Perhaps the exact term “expel” wasn’t used but this statement from the FSP sounds like an expulsion to me:
“Therefore, effective immediately, the FSP will no longer provide FTL with promotional consideration and has ended the “Mutual Sponsorship” agreement. Furthermore, Ian Freeman is no longer invited to attend FSP-hosted events, including PorcFest and Liberty Forum.
Dissolving this relationship reinforces the existing reality that the FSP and FTL (and Ian’s other organizations such as Free Keene and Liberty Radio Network) are different organizations, with different missions and standards, that should not be conflated with each other.”
https://freestateproject.org/blogs/free-state-project-statement-regarding-ian-freeman-and-free-talk-live
Richard, you of all people should understand the importance of the precision of words when discussing these situations. Ian was never formally expelled from the FSP. He was simply prohibited from attending FSP-sanctioned events in his sponsorship capacity as the host of Free Talk Live. This is an important distinction to make because he was otherwise perfectly free to attend said events as an individual. Expulsion as you know is reserved exclusively for those who choose to disregard the FSP’s terms of membership by willfully promoting violence, racial hatred, or bigotry. Ian didn’t do any of these things, and this… Read more »
That is not true – Ian is not allowed to attend in his individual capacity either – ” Furthermore, Ian Freeman is no longer invited to attend FSP-hosted events, including PorcFest and Liberty Forum.” It doesn’t say FTL – it says Ian Freeman.
You of all people should recognize the importance of the precision of words, Richard. That’s why I’m so surprised that you failed to take careful notice of the word “invited” in the FSP’s mutual sponsorship dissolution. In case you didn’t know, invitations to FSP events are only extended towards special guests, speakers, and broadcasters. Barring official expulsion, Ian would have been perfectly free to attend any of these events in an individual capacity just like any other FSP member. That’s why the word “invited” was chosen instead of words like “prohibited” or “banned.” And it was also why the second… Read more »
Thank you Richard Bauman for that clarification. God speed for the FSP. The same can’t be said for Free Keene and it’s showing as of late.
What’s the matter, KC darling? Don’t you possess the courage necessary to take responsibility for your calumny here? How ordinary of you!
i dont think he know wat calumny is …
“Calumny” is just the pretentious way of saying libel – the more commonly used and understood word.
Actually Richard, that word has the same meaning (and almost the same spelling) as the one used in my mother tongue. That’s why I chose it in the first place. Besides, that word describes perfectly the observation I was making of our dear friend KC’s agenda. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, he much prefers to lash out at his rivals instead of participating in any sort of meaningful discussion.
Pretentious? That is quite fitting Richard.
Are you still too faint-of-heart to meet me head-on like you used to, KC darling? That’s such a shame. But I can’t say I blame you, poppet. Your ego will certainly be much safer if you stay in the back seat and let Richard do the driving.