Jury Finds Meg Guilty of Standing Still

by | May 6, 2011 | 3 comments

Facing two years in jail for standing in front of police cars when they were attempting to kidnap a peaceful woman, Meg McLain bravely goes to jury trial, where despite her suggestion they set her free, she is found guilty and sentenced to 180 days in jail, all “suspended”. The jurors were snuck out the back door and all that were approached refused to be interviewed, even for $50 cash for five minutes. Here’s the video of the trial including Meg’s excellent opening and closing statements as well as the state playing videos for the jury that were featured on this blog:

Disobedience and Noncooperation Win Again: Heicklen 3, Orlando 0

by | May 6, 2011 | 3 comments

Sometimes people who are stuck within the politics-is-the-only-answer paradigm, look at civil disobedience and noncooperation and ask, “Where are the successes?” Many of these folks only judge success when there is an official policy change. Each instance of civil disobedience and noncooperation is a personal success at the very least. It’s empowering to say, “No” to those who wish to control you. Beyond that, we have seen plenty of civil disobedience / noncooperation wins including the cops giving up on enforcing cannabis laws around the historic 420 celebrations in Keene, Manchester, and Concord. Parking tickets have been dropped due to activists’ noncooperation. The court lobby video ban has been violated multiple times without incident. Plus, the events have frequently garnered thousands of dollars in free publicity for Free Keene and the Free State Project, only insuring more movers and more future successes. All that stemming from just the activism here in Keene.

However, Keene is not the only place where civil disobedience is happening. Orlando, FL has recently become a hotspot thanks to the efforts of John Kurtz and other liberty activists (many of whom will be at Porcfest next month). John has used civil disobedience to successfully violate the city’s ban on feeding the homeless near city hall as well as to prove that the panhandling law is selectively enforced against the homeless. Now he’s teamed up with Julian Heicklen, the jury nullification outreach superactivist, to purposefully violate a ban on jury outreach. (more…)

Meg on Trial, 9am Thursday, Superior Court

by | May 2, 2011 | 4 comments

As you may recall, last summer, talented activist and Free Keene blogger Meg McLain was arrested with me, Wes, and Rich Paul for standing in front of the Keene police cruisers as they attempted to kidnap Keene native Heika Courser for enjoying a beer in the park on a Sunday afternoon. Some video of the original arrests are here.

Now, nearly a year later, the matter is coming to a jury trial. Meg faces charges including “Obstructing Government Administration” and the old standby, “Disorderly Conduct”. Come out at 9am to Cheshire Superior Court and see it for yourself. Here’s the facebook event.

For standing in front of a police car, she faces as much as two years in jail.

Free Keene Fest Is Just Around The Corner…

by | Apr 28, 2011 | 0 comments

It’s that time again…Free Keene Fest will be held Sunday, May 8, from 12-4pm on Railroad Square.  The rock band, Federal Crime, will be playing live during the festival. If they sound familiar to you, it’s probably because they have played at other Free Keene Fests and even played behind the E.F. Lane Hotel during the Music Festival last fall!

There will be lots of unique things to do, see, and buy. A few will even be handing out informational material on various liberty-oriented topics!  Poker and other games will be set up, and food/ beverages will be for sale. Looking for some pro-liberty apparel to sport? Come on down! There will be a couple of vendors, including one of my favorite local artists, Dave Dixon, selling his famous t-shirts and sweatshirts. Did I mention there will be a clothing drop-off if you are looking to give to the community? Clothing will be collected at the Fr33 Aid booth to be donated to a local charity and anyone in need.

Free Keene Fest has been a fun time for many for almost five years, being held biannually. Many people come from afar to hang out with other liberty-minded individuals. There are no permits or vendor’s fees paid to the city of Keene for this festival of freedom. However, responsibility for your property/trash/etc is expected!

I sincerely hope to see this Spring’s Free Keene Festival a smashing success!