On Tuesday March 25th, 2014, five activists from Manchester including myself and Free Keene blogger Joel Valenzuela drove to Nashua to protest the rally to raise minimum wage. According to the Nashua Telegraph, Vice President Joe Biden was to be speaking at the event. Unfortunately, Joe Biden did not show. However, neither did anyone else. The crowd consisted mostly of activists from Manchester, a friend of the Free State Project (who none of us had ever met), and the local media. The most interesting part of the event was how the “show” went on. There was no real reason to do a political presentation to just protesters, yet they did it anyways. The Union Leader interviewed us and mentioned the protest in their article.
On the morning of March 20th, 2014, Joe “Liberty Carrots,” Nemi Jones, Riaz Kahan and I went to the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to support the First and SecondAmendments to the United States Constitution. Joe was the creative star of this activism effort, stopped multiple times by airport security and threatened with arrest for handing out free copies of the monthly liberty newspaper FPPNews from Free Press Publications.
No airport security agents or police questioned the fact that Joe was open-carrying a rifle. They did, however, take great issue with our exercise of free speech and expression:
This past February I attended my very first Liberty Forum in Nashua New Hampshire. While there I met many inspiring people dedicated to living free in our life time. Many of the people I met call the shire home or were their to discover what the Free State Project is all about. I took the opportunity to create a video that would help portray the dedication to liberty that so many of the attendees at Liberty Forum have. To showcase why so many of us are active for the cause of freedom.
On January 25th 2014 I made the move to Manchester New Hampshire for the Free State Project. In my short time here I have witnessed such amazing aspects of the liberty community that exists in Manchester and New Hampshire in general. The community here is very strong and vibrant.
Agora Cab accepts payment from a customer, in bitcoin
After a short time here one very quickly begins to realize that the free voluntary society that we are all passionate about is literally being created in Manchester as well as across New Hampshire. From Keene to the Lakes Region down to Manchester/Nashua and the Free Coast, people are here right now being active for liberty. There is infrastructure in that there are multiple buildings such as Area 23 and the Quill in Manchester where people in the liberty community can hold meetings, events, and of course socialize. Agorism is a large part of this community as well. There are multiple businesses in operation that have not sought permission from “the state”. (more…)
As reported here, Manchester police issued a summons for violating a sign / zoning ordinance for using a laser projector during a Peaceful Streets event which warned citizens of the dangers that lay ahead at the suspicionless checkpoint being operated by MPD. In response we set up a successful go fund me campaign to help with legal expenses.
Attorney Seth Hipple was hired to handle the case and a letter was sent to the city requesting that they clarify exactly which subsection of the ordinance we were accused of violating. The response we received was unexpectedly positive, the summons has been cancelled. Here is a copy of the letter. MPD LASER LETTER
As of right now, the Green Beam is ready and waiting to deploy at the next event. The law office of Martin and Hipple will remain on retainer in case the planning department decides to pursue the matter or the city devises a new strategy. Any remaining funds will be used to upgrade and maintain the laser. Thank you for your support.
It’s like deja vu all over again. The last blog I wrote for Free Keene detailed how the MPD had chosen to ignore the constitution in favor of the enforcement of a city ordinance, specifically a park curfew. This time they’re using a zoning ordinance about signs to squelch protest.
blogger Joel Valenzuela drove to Nashua to protest the rally to raise minimum wage. According to the Nashua Telegraph, Vice President Joe Biden was to be speaking at the event. Unfortunately, Joe Biden did not show. However, neither did anyone else. The crowd consisted mostly of activists from Manchester, a friend of the Free State Project (who none of us had ever met), and the local media. The most interesting part of the event was how the “show” went on. There was no real reason to do a political presentation to just protesters, yet they did it anyways. The Union Leader interviewed us and mentioned the protest in their article.
