The Concord City Council has already voted to get a BearCat, but the issue is now shaping this fall’s city elections. Of the seven contested races this fall, five include candidates running on their opposition to the armored police vehicle.
Eight candidates in this November’s election have said they decided to run for office because they disagreed with the council’s vote this month to accept a nearly $260,000 federal grant to purchase the vehicle.
“I’d like the race to be a referendum on the BearCat thing,” said Kevin Bloom, who is running in Ward 4. (more…)
Garret already posted Ridley’s video “interview” where the Concord police chief dodges Ridley’s questions, claiming he doesn’t understand them. Here are the other three that Ridley has released thus far in the series of videos of him covering the scene outside city hall where he ambushes politicians and bureaucrats with pointed questions:
Of course, Dan is not the only person who has been inspired to move here by the anti-BEARCAT activism – there are likely many more who do not have blogs and/or have decided to not announce their decision to sign the Free State Project’s “Statement of Intent” publicly.
Rest assured, more liberty activists are coming. The more ridiculous and outrageous the NH state-believers become, the more people will move here and get active. The state-believers are not even close to having learned their lesson about not aggressing against peaceful people yet, so I must thank them for inspiring more influential activists like Dan to move here and concentrate their activism! Yay!
Concord police will be receiving a Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck, after an 11-4 vote by the full city council in favor of accepting the military-style vehicle funded by a Department of Homeland Security grant to the Lenco corporation. The fire chief closed the building to many attendees, calling capacity at a reported 70 guests. Drum circles, light shows, sign waving, videography, and socializing occurred in the courtyard outside of the council meeting location on Green Street. Media from around the state observed proceedings both inside and outside of the chambers. Dave Ridley has already posted an ambush interview of Concord police chief John Duval to his youtube channel, in which he asks the top cop if he expected anyone beyond DHS bureaucracy to read his grant application. Ridley’s coverage, from which more is to be expected later, is embedded below.
Tony Schinella’s article at Concord Patch includes quotes from city councilors on both sides the issue, who were reportedly offered copies of Radley Balko’s Rise of the Warrior Cop while they were considering their decision. After word of the vote came out to the crowd, the message on the green beam laser pointed at a nearby steeple read, “BEARCAT FOR SALE CALL 911”. (more…)
Just like happened in Keene, the Concord city council voted 11-4 tonight to accept the Department of Homeland Security’s grant for the BEARCAT. When a similar vote happened in Keene’s city council in 2012, there were also four votes against it (and 9 votes for it – one councilor was absent and another had to abstain due to a conflict of interest).
As in Keene, the Concord councilors did not care what the people thought, despite over 1500 petitions signed against the BEARCAT and a huge outpouring of public opinion against it. The BEARCAT meetings were packed with concerned inhabitants and many more contacted the councilors outside the meeting to express their opposition. I cannot discern whether any councilors actually changed their minds on this vote, as the initial approval for the police to seek the grant happened a year ago and it was on the “consent calendar” of the council, which means they really didn’t vote on it at all initially. (As I understand it.)
Thanks to all the activists who spent so much time and effort on this – despite the council not caring, it was still good for outreach on the issue of militarization of police as well as lots of free press coverage. If you want to join the best liberty activism movement in the world, join the Free State Project, and move to NH ASAP!
Concord activists will be turning in over 1500 petitions against the BEARCAT police tank this afternoon. The protest against the BEARCAT begins tonight at 6pm at 41 Green St. in Concord. The city council meeting where they will supposedly vote on accepting a grant for the militaristic monstrosity begins tonight at 7pm at Concord city hall.
Media interviews are already being lined up for the Concord liberty activists. We’ll post them here to Free Keene as we become aware.
