In the aftermath of a shocking video released February 8 portraying a tow truck driver threatening a Robin Hooder, videojournalist Dave Ridley has begun producing a series of videos covering the encounter and the responses that it has generated. Some detractors of Robin Hood and the Merry People shamelessly took to the internet to express solidarity with the rage-filled tow operator and expressed joy at the threats of violence aimed at videographer Graham Colson. Graham has since posted a blog trying to refocus the issue on opposing the use of threats and harassment. Unrelated tow companies in other states who share the same name as the employer of the driver in the original video have reportedly been receiving improperly directed complaints.
Anger against Free Keene grows to physically dangerous levels, but some opponents worth hearing, released 13 Feb 2014:
Thursday’s Keene Sentinel featured an update on the Robin Hood saga penned by Kyle Jarvis. The article overviews how the case is being prepped for presentation to the New Hampshire supreme court, where before being scheduled requires both parties to consider the possibility of mandatory mediation. The mediation process would involve a closed-door meeting between both parties to agree on a legal compromise. Mediation is certainly a fitting alternative to the courts for conflict resolution when a conflict exists, but as is uniquely the case in Keene, city officials can’t cite a single grievance against the Robin Hooders collectively beyond expressing a desire that they do not be in the proximity of or communicate with parking enforcers. For some individual Robin Hooders, no specific issues have been raised at all, and considering that Pete Eyre is still named in the suit when he has at no time been associated with Robin Hood of Keene demonstrates the indiscriminate nature of the city’s straw-grasping lawsuit. Early in the suit, the city requested the ability to add defendants to the case at will, but apparently ceased its hunt for the underground Robin Hooders after at least two individuals officially requested attachment to the suit and were denied, despite one presenting evidence of longtime participation in the activity.
While the ruling from judge John Kissinger was reasonable, a further contemplation of the case may have demonstrated the need for a less traditional ruling, which may have alleviated some of the issues that the legal department of “city of Keene” continues to press today. Though the judge never authorized “harassment and intimidation”, the ruling states only that the facts presented did not constitute any actionable activity. Yet the city’s attorney asserted this about the ruling: “The Order holds that the individual protesters have no duty to be reasonable in their actions and conduct directed toward public employees while doing their jobs … that the individual protesters are allowed to interfere, harass, and intimidate public employees while doing their jobs … (and) that the individual protesters may engage in inappropriate and unreasonable actions and conduct directed at public employees while doing their jobs.” Not only is it unkind to mischaracterize constitutionally protected speech as “harassment and intimidation,” but it is also a distortion of the actual text of the ruling. Perhaps mediation would have been most pertinent prior to the many hours spent in court, where it could have been cleared up ahead of time that Robin Hooders do not engage in harassment and intimidation. Of course, when myself I tried mediate with the city’s attorney prior to court, my camera was stolen for two months under the guise of “illegal wiretapping”. (more…)
Ridley raises some controversial questions about FBI entrapment strategy and whether or not certain elements of the strategy would be justified by a nonviolent defensive organization in a stateless society. The questions are raised on the heels of an Illinois jury refusing to convict three protesters arrested prior to the 2012 NATO Summit of terrorism-related charges after manufacturing four molotov cocktails with the assistance of multiple undercover police operatives. More could certainly be said on the topic, with one of the major criticism’s of the practice’s ethics not being addressed, that of the use of deception and fraud to motivate actions of others.
On the morning of February 10 in the new Cheshire county court building, which houses the Keene District Court, the room was packed as usual for arraignments. Travis Hobbs, who had made himself the subject of a video posted to Fr33manTVraw by threatening and attacking Robin Hooders, was present to plead not guilty to multiple charges of criminal threatening. Though it is unclear specifically as no state paperwork is currently available from this case, information from the Keene police suggest that Travis is facing four misdemeanor charges of criminal threatening. Shortly after the incident, the KPD requested that a statement be provided which outlines the events documented on video on the afternoon of Friday, August 02. Some of the information pertaining to the case was read aloud by Edward Burke. Below is video from the portion of the arraignment that occurred before the judge. Individual conferences with the representative of the prosecutor, KPD’s James Cemorelis (in police attire with firearm), occurred as each person demanded present was called past the bar prior to the judge’s arrival. The trial date has been set for June 17, and the defendant was appointed a public defender.
Straight off the press of the latest episode of AKPF #1, this persevering installment features historical footage from the Boston ATHF hoax of 2007 which resulted in a major press conference regarding hairstyles of the 1970s. The show also hosts discussions from a Chicago grassroots group responding to Obama’s Union of the State address, and concludes with a discussion on wiretapping and the tactics of videographers working behind the scenes to produce the weekly AKPF #1 program.
The official Democratic People’s Republic of Keene has released a ten minute February news update which airs on Cheshire TV as well as being hosted on the Aqua Keene youtube channel. In this timely update, we learn about the details of the audiotapes related to the Duckgate scandal from Nashua’s Crown Plaza Hotel, where an allegedly drunken state rep mowed down five ducks and injured more with his luxury vehicle. The recent electronic revenue generation theories being hypothesized in specific zones around Keene are overviewed, both from the perspectives of Keene’s Robin Hood as well as an AKPF field representative. Promotional consideration is given to the corporate sponsors, as the news update concludes with a hollywood cinematic teaser trailer.
In the aftermath of a shocking video released February 8 portraying a tow truck driver threatening a Robin Hooder, videojournalist Dave Ridley has begun producing a series of videos covering the encounter and the responses that it has generated. Some detractors of Robin Hood and the Merry People shamelessly took to the internet to express solidarity with the rage-filled tow operator and expressed joy at the threats of violence aimed at videographer Graham Colson. Graham has since posted a blog trying to refocus the issue on opposing the use of threats and harassment. Unrelated tow companies in other states who share the same name as the employer of the driver in the original video have reportedly been receiving improperly directed complaints.
