by Ian | Nov 15, 2008 |
The setting is a bustling town– not quite a city, but endowed with the pleasures that one could usually find in a metropolis. It has its ups, its downs, but overall, everyone seems to be at least just a bit content with the general atmosphere.
Enter the bandits– violent and vicious sonsabitches, who have at their disposal a corrupt and conniving government pocketed, whether it be by a cut of the profits they get in their vile activities or simply out of fear for them. They roam about, wrecking homesteads, threatening violence, destroying property, getting their rocks off by toying with people who are otherwise incapable of defending themselves for fear of even harsher retribution. The townspeople are entirely capable of ridding themselves of this scourge, yet they still fear what may happen should they voice their sentiments, or -heaven forbid- act upon them.
Cue our hero, a regular kinda gentleman rancher who in standing up for himself and his homestead, is instead driven to the brink and cornered by these bandits. The corrupt and crony lawmen and magistrate back them all the way, or at least don’t do anything to help. Knowing full well the deck is stacked against him, he still makes his stand, because by golly and god as his witness, these men are in the wrong.
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by Michael Hampton | Nov 14, 2008 |
Nationally syndicated radio talk show host Ian Freeman will spend 100 days in jail because he questioned the legitimacy of a system which would penalize him for having a couch in his yard and conduct his trial in secret.
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by Dale Everett | Nov 8, 2008 |
On Sunday, October 26th, a bunch of different folks interested in promoting liberty gathered (assembled, if you like) in Keene, New Hampshire’s public Railroad Square for what was commonly referred to as The Freedom Festival. A week later, I did this interview with some locals who have been performing for tips in Railroad Square for about 10 months. They’re considering the name Z Squared but haven’t decided yet. I wish them well and hope the police continue to leave them unharassed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM872g-Ww8I
Here’s a little more about Freedom Fest. Two bands decided to show up and provide entertainment and there were a number of booths up for people interesting in learning more about various freedom movements in New Hampshire, including yours truly and groups like NH Common Sense, NHLA, New Hampshire Free Press, The Red Amendment, and The Liberty Scholarship Fund. I know I’m forgetting someone. About an hour into the event, police showed up and started asking individual participants if they had gotten a permit to be in this supposedly public place. The term “public property” seems like an oxymoron to me. Property implies the ability to exclude others from the use of that property. Therefore, the enforcers “own” public property; not us. The Freedom Festival is just another demonstration of this fact.
The band I interviewed in the video has been playing unharassed for about 10 months in the same location, usually using the public power. In case you think this is an issue of size or numbers, there’s no evidence to support that. There’s nothing about size or numbers in the ordinance that was the supposed reason we were being ordered to leave under threat of citation or arrest. Also the police were going around to each booth or band and asking for a permit, most of which were no more than one or two people, no different than the band playing for tips a week later, so by their own actions, it was not about numbers. The Z Squared band has gotten occasional noise complaints from local businesses but the police decided to pardon them. I think it’s silly, frankly, to complain of noise in a business district in the middle of the day in a location that’s known for having live bands and other public events, but the point is Freedom Fest got no such complaints from locals apparently. The police were asked if anyone had complained and the only answer seemed to be the enforcers themselves.
The laws are weapons in the hands of the people in power. You have free speech on supposedly public property IF they like you and IF they don’t mind what you’re saying.
by Ian | Oct 30, 2008 |
If you’ve been watching the blog here at FreeKeene.com, you’ve no doubt already seen the multiple Ridley Report entries covering the Keene Police’s attempted crackdown on the Fall 2008 Keene Freedom Festival. Liberty activists and other members of the public were enjoying themselves at Railroad Square this past Sunday. Several organizations were doing outreach, there was a gambling table, live music by the Josh Noone Band (Here’s a live recording of “hypocrisy” from Freedom Fest.) and others, and lots of socializing and networking going on. Then, about an hour into the event, “city prosecutor” Elizer Rivera, showed up in a police uniform with three of his associates, “detective” William Sargent, “lieutenant” Jay Dugay, and “officer” Matt Griffin. Griffin was observing from across the street, while Sargent acted as the silent heavy. Dugay at least had a friendly demeanor even though he was threatening all of the attendees with arrest allegedly for illegally assembling without a permit. In the video footage, you can see I got him to laugh when I caught him saying something particularly silly. Dugay clearly would rather have been doing something else, but is not willing to refuse to follow bad orders.
Moments after their arrival, the police were surrounded by activists, many of whom were armed with video cameras or audio recorders. Even though Dugay claimed that they were responding to an alleged complaint and were investigating whether the Freedom Fest attendees had a permit or not, Rivera’s actions contradicted Dugay’s statements. (more…)
by Ian | Oct 24, 2008 |
After being praised by activists for making some positive choices, “Justice” Edward Burke from the Keene “District Court” appears to have slid back down the path to totalitarianism. In an “ORDER” (.PDF) issued today, Burke claims that video cameras are “disruptive of the proper and orderly administration of justice”. He orders his subordinates to “require pool coverage” and apply the rule to “all court procedures conducted outside the courtroom or court facility”.
He also has rescheduled the “trial” that they are demanding in regards to the Freedom Couch for Friday, Nov. 14th at 1:30p.
My interpretation of their legalese is that there is a chance that activists who show up to the “district court” in Keene with cameras on the 14th stand a possibility of being arrested for simply recording the court security procedure or the clerk’s window. (more…)
by Nick Ryder | Oct 23, 2008 |
This week, a non-local videographer interested in covering Ian Freeman’s “couch trial” (Wednesday, 10-29, at 10am) contacted the district court to ask about taking a camera into the court room. He was given the run-around as usual, and they eventually came back saying that cameras were not allowed in the court room.
Recently, the judge has allowed cameras and voice recorders in with no issue, and we have been silent and non-protesting over it because of his great judgment in allowing freedom of the press. However, here is this videographer’s account of his conversation with the court:
*I’m very aware that cameras were allowed and I told him as much. I tried to sound aware, but objective – he basically told me that the no camera rule is because “there’s a group of people trying to make an issue out of ‘having a right to film in the court'” and that they’re revoking it because “the judge has been very lenient up until now and it’s been abused”.*
Is this the show of some sort of crackdown against us? What kind of “abuse” has occurred because of the allowance of cameras? Or worse, are they planning a hard crackdown on Ian, and are banning cameras to disallow any recording of what happens? Stay tuned for updates and possible disobedience.
