Brad Jardis and Tommy Mozingo take questions from the crowd
It was showtime, and no one much desired to be the first to stand in the courtyard. In front of the Hartman Union Building (HUB) at Plymouth State University, first came the journalists, then the (technically) counter protesters. They were organized with signs. Their protest began as they stood in a line, more signs than students. A familiar cast from independent media streamed in. Sheriff’s deputies, state troopers and, to a much lesser extent, university police formed compacted columns at all major walkway points of entry.
The chalk sat locked in my trunk, but I bore two arms as I awaited Brad Jardis and Tommy Mozingo’s responsible gun carry outreach event. My customary sidearm, the Nikon Coolpix S570 sat mounted atop my telescopic tripod. On my hip was a spare battery and a fully unloaded 8 gigabyte SD card. Slung on my back, in a portable DVD player case that functions superior to any camera case I’ve seen for the purpose, was a a JVC mini DV camcorder with a single battery pack. The young dinosaur of the pre-digital age was at the ready in the case that I expended all of my digital video, or if any action required the 32x optical zoom capability. (more…)
I recently had the opportunity to visit Occupy Boston on a relatively quiet day. A brief summary is posted at Free Concord, and video footage from the scene is featured below.
Ademo Freeman went on trial last Monday in Manchester district court to answer to the charges of criminal mischief and resisting arrest. Ademo was the first of the Chalking 8 arrests made outside the police station during a police accountability rally on June 4. At least 17 supporters and members of independent media were present to witness as the state presented its case against Ademo, with five city of Manchester employees speaking in favor of the state.
Before the proceedings were underway, there was much conversation between liberty activists present and the representatives of the state. As these interactions were being filmed by various camera-wielding individuals, bailiffs approached those with cameras visible and handed them an order signed by the judge that limited recording to the duration of the trial itself. The order effectively banned pre and post trial interviews and interactions, which are often recorded when activists are due in court. The move was likely motivated by an interaction on camera which occurred outside courtroom #201 following my own trial three days prior.
At about 1:30, the event was to get underway when the defendant asked the status of two pretrial motions he had filed. Judge William Lyons indicated that he had denied both motions previously. Ademo responded that he would be ready to proceed after reading the judge’s ruling on the motions, and after a short recess, prosecutor Gregory Muller called his first witness.
Judge William Lyons overruled an objection to a recording notice made by attorney Gregory Muller on Tuesday, November 15 just prior to the trial of Wesley Gilwreath. Wesley was among the first two arrests at the Manchester police department on June 4, 2011. He and Ademo Freeman were arrested for chalking on the building of the station during a police accountability rally. In the hours following the initial arrests, activists and their property were seized by police for a number of legally questionable reasons.
The day prior to the trial, I had submitted notice to record to the clerk. As is usual, just before the proceedings got underway, both parties were presented with the notice. With my name listed on the recording form as the correspondent, Gregory Muller objected, claiming that I had a ‘vested interest’ in Wesley’s trial. The judge failed to see how my ability to record a third party’s legal proceedings could cause any ill-gotten gain. To the objection, the judge asked, “Do you have any legal authority for the proposition that one vitiates their standing under the first amendment, by virtue of having charges arising out of the same incident?”
This year’s fifth of November celebration in front of the state house drew a larger and more motivated crowd than last year. After demonstrating in front of the placid capitol building Saturday evening, a group of activists marched to the liquor store, and once inside, began performing Weeda Claus’ Chronic Christmas Carols, which are songs about the harms of the war on drugs set to the tune of popular Christmas jingles.
A great portion of the festivities were captured by numerous still and video journalists from around the Shire. See the initial demonstration in part one, and the liquor store serenade in part two.
Judge William Lyons overruled an objection to a recording notice made by attorney Gregory Muller on Tuesday, November 15 just prior to the trial of Wesley Gilwreath. Wesley was among the first two arrests at the Manchester police department on June 4, 2011. He and Ademo Freeman were arrested for chalking on the building of the station during a police accountability rally. In the hours following the initial arrests, 
This year’s fifth of November celebration in front of the state house drew a larger and more motivated crowd than last year. After demonstrating in front of the placid capitol building Saturday evening, a group of activists marched to the liquor store, and once inside, began performing Weeda Claus’ Chronic Christmas Carols, which are songs about the harms of the war on drugs set to the tune of popular Christmas jingles.
