According to an attorney with the National Lawyer’s Guild on Democracy Now, Jared Chase of Keene was set up by people working for the government when he was busted at the NATO protests in Chicago a few days ago over molotov cocktails:
Michael Deutsch, an attorney for the protesters with the National Lawyers Guild, accused Chicago police of entrapment.
MICHAEL DEUTSCH: Obviously, we don’t have access to all the information that the state has. But what we do know is, is that there were police—undercover police officers that ingratiated themselves with people who come from out of town. And from our information, these so-called incendiary devices and the plans to attack police stations, attack the mayor’s office, is all coming from the mind of the police informants and are not coming from our clients, who are nonviolent protesters. They are not anarchists. They don’t belong to a Black Bloc organization. They’re involved with nonviolent protest. And what we believe is, is that this is a way to stir up prejudice against the people who are exercising their First Amendment rights.
As you may be aware, NH native liberty lover, Ladies in Keene co-host, and Free Keene blogger Kate Ager was arrested for standing on some chalk and not moving off of it fast enough upon Manchester police’s request (see her video here). Here’s the trial where another obedient jury found her guilty of “resisting arrest”:
After a 27 hour journey with activists from around Massachusetts and New Hampshire, early yesterday morning we arrived in the windy city. Expending almost every battery for the recording devices that I own, there is now upwards of 14 gigabytes of video, image, and audio files waiting to be processed. Throughout the day I filmed scenes from a scheduled rally in Daley plaza (where a cell phone jamming device was being used), an unpermitted march throughout downtown Chicago, and an evening assembly in Grant park. The Chicago Tribune has published photos from Friday’s festivities. Today crowds are expected to continue swelling. Here’s a juxtaposition preview of some of the coverage you’ll soon be seeing at Free Concord. The first image was a much more common sight than the second.
Not too long ago a friend mentioned to me that man in Keene had gotten away with murder. From the conversation it was eluded to that the man had not been held accountable because he wore on his costume a “Keene Police Department” badge and a nameplate that said “chief.”
I sought to determine the accuracy of the claim because 1) if someone had in fact gotten away with murder I’d want to do what I could to help set the record straight and 2) if true, it’d only underscore the perverse incentives inherent in the way “law enforcement” is supplied (and thus encourage those faced with the information to consider alternatives, especially considering that the person who presently has Qualters old gig requested an armored vehicle from the Department of Homeland Security).
My investigation didn’t turn-up anything that substantiated or refuted the claim. If you have information that could help put this question to rest please let me know.
Still, I thought it wise to share an overview of the steps I took and the information gathered to make the process transparent and to perhaps acquire additional related information from someone with more knowledge.
Kate was found guilty of “resisting” by a Manchester Superior Court jury today. Her previous “sentence” from district court was 90-days suspended for two-years. Her new “sentence” is 30-days suspended for 30-days.
It’s good that the threat hanging over her head is now lessened and that outreach was done and ideas shared but bad that Kate had to even allocate any of her time to such a situation.
On June 4th, 2011 eight ‘shire-based activists were arrested while at a pro-police accountable rally outside the Manchester, NH PD (603-668-8711). The incident became known as the Chalking 8. One of the eight arrested was Kate Ager.
Kate had been heading to Manchester to visit a friend. On the way, she learned that her friend had been arrested outside the Manchester Police Department so that’s where she headed. She parked and as she approached, saw a number friends holding signs as well as a number of Manchester PD employees nearby.
Eighty-seconds after stepping onto the sidewalk she was asked by Manchester police employee John Patti to “get off the chalk.” Ten seconds after that, when attempting to ask a question about the order, she was given her “last chance.” Ten seconds after that Patti told Kate that she was “under arrest” as he and colleagues swarmed Kate, handcuffed her, and put her in a cell.
According to an attorney with the National Lawyer’s Guild on Democracy Now, Jared Chase of Keene was set up by people working for the government when he was busted at the NATO protests in Chicago a few days ago over molotov cocktails:
After a 27 hour journey with activists from around Massachusetts and New Hampshire, early yesterday morning we arrived in the windy city. Expending almost every battery for the recording devices that I own, there is now upwards of 14 gigabytes of video, image, and audio files waiting to be processed. Throughout the day I filmed scenes from a scheduled rally in Daley plaza (where a cell phone jamming device was being used), an unpermitted march throughout downtown Chicago, and an evening assembly in Grant park. The Chicago Tribune has 
