Hundreds of Protestors Gather at NH State House in Spite of Governor’s “Orders”

Amazing Turnout at Assembly Event in Concord Despite Bad Weather

Amazing Turnout at Assembly Event in Concord Despite Bad Weather

The last several weeks have been hard to handle as a freedom lover. Seeing Americans obediently do whatever the government goons tell them isn’t really a surprise, but still sad and depressing to witness. Though I am an optimist, even I’ve been pretty disillusioned as a result of the widespread obedience that is leading to massive economic and personal destruction as businesses close and jobs are lost.

A couple of weeks ago, NH gubernatorial candidate “Nobody” announced an event at the state house that attracted over a dozen attendees to violate the New Hampshire governor’s “order” not to gather in groups of ten or more. Today, in an event created by Health Freedom NH a much larger group of approximately 400 freedom-loving people descended on the state house in cold, rainy weather to protest the ongoing tyranny here in the supposedly “Live Free or Die” state. Police didn’t even bother to drive by.

Hundreds were together on the pavement by Main St, ignoring the anti-human “social distancing” orders as dozens of cars were circling the nearby roads honking in support, many adorned with signs and flags. It was refreshing to see so many people acting free and ignoring the “orders” of “HIS EXCELLENCY” – which is actually how the “orders” refer to Chris Sununu, the republican governor of New Hampshire.

Many creative signs were present, though the Trump supporters seem confused. Do they think Trump somehow supports freedom? While some of his words initially on Twitter regarding Coronavirus were critical, he quickly fell in line and has been promoting the rise of the medical authoritarian state. At least they aren’t happy with Sununu.

My favorite sign was the guy in a V-mask whose sign read “THE REAL VIRUS IS FEAR”. I also liked “ALL BUSINESSES ARE ESSENTIAL”.

The support for freedom was refreshing. I’m glad to be here in New Hampshire where people still care about freedom. Maybe there is hope after all.

Missed today’s event? There’s another protest event slated for the State House in Concord on Monday, April 20th at 4:20pm, which will also feature open cannabis use as the annual “420” rally has for over a decade. Maybe the one after that should happen out front of Sununu’s house…

Over Ten People Exercise Right to Assemble at NH State House in Violation of Governor’s Order

Right to Assemble Event

Over a Dozen Heroically Attended the Right to Assemble Event Today, April 1st in Concord

Donning masks from “V for Vendetta”, more than a dozen activists gathered at the New Hampshire state house in Concord today in violation of “HIS EXCELLENCY” governor Chris Sununu’s “order” banning assembly of over ten people. Not only did the police who passed by the event today use their discretion and ignore the event, one Concord police officer even waved to the group, suggesting that he also supported the human right to assemble. While responses from passing motorists varied, the majority were positive, including thumbs-ups, honks, and waves. Negative responses included middle fingers, shaking heads, a thumbs-down, and verbal “quarantine shaming”. Of course, any protest for any topic always elicits negative responses and this one was not unusual.

Curiously, the only media who bothered to attend was an independent videographer who interviewed me and NH republican primary challenger to the incumbent governor Sununu, “Nobody“. After standing by Main Street for over an hour holding signs like, “Social Distancing is Fear, Not Love” and “Assembly is a Human Right”, we took a group photo by the statue of General John Stark. Stark is known for creating the saying from which New Hampshire selected its state motto:

Live Free Or Die; Death Is Not The Worst Of Evils.

 

Stark is likely rolling in his grave now with Sununu following obediently along with other tyrannical state governors and issuing approximately two dozen emergency orders in the last few weeks, destroying the freedom to do business and the freedom to assemble. While Sununu has not gone as far as some of his counterparts, he is nonetheless presiding over a tremendous increase in authoritarianism as well as economic destruction.

Right to Assemble - Street Protest

Protestors hold signs and socialize next to Concord’s Main Street.

Thankfully, Sununu won’t be unchallenged in this year’s election. “Nobody” of Keene has thrown his hat into the ring as Sununu’s thus-far lone republican primary challenger for governor. Here’s a recent Boston Globe story that features Nobody and mentioned today’s event at the state house.

Activists joined Nobody from across New Hampshire and even as far away as Western Massachusetts to hold signs and violate “social distancing” rules that are driving people nationwide to suicide from lack of human contact and job losses. Recent news has shown suicide hotline calls are well above normal levels in many places across the United States.

There may indeed be a nasty virus out there. How much worse it is than the flu, which kills tens of thousands in the United States each year, remains to be seen. Fearmongering media and politicians benefit when they ramp up fear in the population. However, the decision on how to handle possible risks in life should be up to the individual, not lying, power-seeking politicians and bureaucrats. Freedom is better than safety or the illusion of safety, especially when the cost is your liberty. Once the government goons take more freedom, don’t expect to ever get it back.

That said, many motorists in Concord seem to be on the side of freedom, and there were a surprising amount of people on the roads, getting life done. Kudos to the police for ignoring the peaceful event. The next Nobody-led assembly event in Concord is the annual 4:20 cannabis smoke out on 4/20, and for the only time – in 2020. Hope to see you there! Nobody’s campaign website is ElectNobody.com.

“Stay at Home” Nightcap in Central Square Ignored by Police, To Return Next Week!

"Stay at Home" Nightcap 2020-03-28

“Stay at Home” Nightcap @ Keene’s Central Square

Last night in Keene’s Central Square, nine liberty activists gathered after the New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu’s seventeenth “order” went into effect at 11:59pm, demanding all “nonessential” people stay at home and close their businesses for the next month. I’m happy to say that police, despite passing by the group more than once, ignored the peaceful activists. We enjoyed each other’s company, ordered Domino’s pizza, and imbibed some tasty beverages.

Not long after “HIS EXCELLENCY” – no, I’m not kidding, the orders actually refer to Sununu this way – issued the “order” the people calling themselves the “NH Department of Justice” issued a 33-page memorandum to law enforcement, instructing them on how to handle people disobeying the “order”. Page three of the memo encourages police to use their discretion when enforcing the diktat, first telling them to give out warnings and attempt to propagandize people who are acting free into believing the fearmongering about this virus that has been purposely overhyped.

The government goons want you to believe this is about safety when it’s really about them grabbing as much power as they can get away with. And they’ve gotten away with a lot. People who would normally be skeptical of politicians’ lies have fallen under their spell and are now lashing out with “quarantine shaming” at those who would dare to continue to live normally. You can see examples of this in the comments on recent posts about Coronavirus noncooperation here on Free Keene. These Stockholm Syndrome victims will even go so far as to threaten violence and wish death upon those who question the media and government claims about this virus and choose to exercise what few freedoms we have left.

It's essential to have the company of other humans.

It’s essential to have the company of other humans. It’s also a human right.

To Sununu’s credit, and he doesn’t deserve much, his order does have an interesting provision that gives more flexibility than is found in other governors’ orders like Illinois. It allows people to leave their homes for several reasons, including:

any other errands an individual determines to be for essential needs

Given that most people need to have contact with other humans, as we are a social animal, it could be considered essential to the need of good mental health to go out and be with others. It’s also interesting that the language allows the individual to determine, not state agents, so he does deserve some credit for this carve-out. However, Sununu is not a defender of freedom and his overall actions here are contributing to the spread of fear and the destruction of New Hampshire’s economy.

Though we were not able to reach over ten people at last night’s Nightcap, we likely will at the upcoming event at the state house on April 1st at 2pm that Sununu’s challenger in the 2020 republican gubernatorial primary, “Nobody” announced this week. Ten is most recent limit on the number of humans who can gather in the same place, per Sununu’s “order” on the subject earlier this week. In case you missed it, Nobody received excellent coverage for his views this week from the Boston Globe. Hope to see you in Concord on April 1st at 2pm at the state house steps to make a stand for the freedom to assemble, a basic human right.

Also, Keene Nightcaps will continue Friday nights, at 11:59pm, at Central Square. Attend at your own risk, bring your substance of choice and enjoy the company of other humans, as is your right to do.

Stay-at-Home Order Effective 11:59pm Tonight – Libertarians to Meet at Central Square at 12:01am

Mayoral Candidate Nobody and City Council Candidates Ian Freeman and Robert Call toke up at the 420.

Mayoral Candidate Nobody and City Council Candidates Ian Freeman and Robert Call toke up at Central Square in 2019.

Yesterday, New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu announced that a “stay-at-home” order would be going into effect at 11:59pm tonight. As though he hadn’t already damaged New Hampshire businesses and economy with his previous tyrannical orders, this one instructs all “non-essential” businesses to close, putting even more people out of work.

Sununu claimed on his facebook post announcing the “order” that disrupting Granite Stater’s daily lives is only done in the greatest of emergencies. Really? This Coronavirus thing isn’t even as bad as the flu yet – even if you go by the government numbers, which of course are in no way trustworthy.

What is happening is government goons are grabbing power as quickly and as firmly as they can, and they are using fear to do it. It’s the same old scam, but this time they are going farther than ever. Though Sununu hasn’t gone as far or as hard as New York, he’s made it clear that “Live Free or Die” is just an empty slogan. Sadly, the fearmongering works, and many people are begging to be told what to do under the auspices of safety.

Tonight, Keene-area libertarians will be commiserating and protesting our lost freedoms, by gathering in Central Square at 12:01am, after Sununu’s “order” goes into effect. We will be bringing back a classic event from about a decade ago called “Keene Nightcap”, where participants are encouraged to bring a mind-altering substance to enjoy in the company of others.

Though Sununu doesn’t deserve much credit for his tyrannical moves, at least there are a couple of loopholes in the stay-at-home “order”, which may actually make such a gathering allowed, so long as people practice so-called “social distancing”. That said, it sure would be outrageous for police to arrest people who voluntarily choose to hug each other. If you’re not scared, come on out and join us tonight at midnight!

As Governor Bans Assembling Over Ten People, Nobody to Lead Gathering at NH State House on April 1st at 2pm!

Nobody tokes at the Concord state house 420 - AP Photo

Nobody tokes at the Concord state house 420 – AP Photo

“Nobody”, the New Hampshire candidate for governor challenging incumbent Chris Sununu in the republican primary has already gotten coverage in the Boston Globe for his announcement of an event to challenge Sununu’s outrageous ban on free assembly of over 50 people. Actually, as I am writing this article, Sununu just announced at a press conference that he’s now restricting gatherings to no more than TEN people. We’re still waiting on the written “order”, but it will likely be posted here to the governor’s website later.

Last week, Sununu announced multiple “executive orders” that destroyed significant freedoms in New Hampshire, like the freedom to run a restaurant or bar as he threatened business owners if they dare to allow customers to eat or drink in their establishments. The hospitality industry is severely damaged as a result, with all servers out of work, volume of orders significantly down, and many restaurants choosing to close down completely as a result. It is an attack on the right to serve our neighbors who wish to take whatever risk and go out to eat. People who wish to quarantine themselves are free to do so without a “order” from the governor but those who wish to continue living a normal life or run their business are being threatened by state agents if they do, all under the excuse of “public health”.

Now-Illegal Gathering of Over a Dozen in Keene

Now-Illegal Gathering of Over a Dozen in Keene, Yesterday

Another of his executive orders trampled on the basic human right of assembly – being able to get together with other people. This weekend, Nobody announced an event to challenge Sununu’s order by violating it with over 50 people gathering on the state house steps on Wednesday April 1st at 2pm. While we were pretty sure at the time we could get at least fifty-one people to come to the state house, now that it’s been reduced to ten people it’s a certainty that we can do it, as this weekend sixteen people gathered in Keene for our regular “Social Sunday” meeting.

On his official campaign blog, ElectNobody.com, Nobody announced the civil disobedience event and reminded people where the state’s supposed motto came from: “Live free or die; death is not the worst of evils.” – General John Stark. Before last week, New Hampshire was not a free state, but now all illusions of freedom have been completely wiped away and it’s become all-out tyranny. Something must be done. It’s time to stand up for the freedom to assemble.

Here is an event to which you can RSVP at Liberty.menu – please do. Bring your friends, signs, and your video cameras. See you at the state house steps at 2pm, Wednesday April 1st. Maybe we’ll go up and pay a visit to Sununu’s office while we’re there too!

The Right to Assemble Not Erased By Government “Emergency” – Libertarians to Continue Meeting in Keene Sundays at 5pm

Social Sunday

New Hampshire’s Longest Running Regular Libertarian Social Meetup

The last couple of weeks have been nuts. We’ve seen authoritarianism rising globally at a rapid clip, using health as the excuse and scaring people into total obedience and isolation. It’s tragic. In New Hampshire and several other states, restaurants and bars have been told they aren’t allowed to serve customers inside their establishments with the exception of take out and delivery. Other businesses are having people work from home and “social distancing” has been put in place as the new normal. In other cases, like California, total lockdowns are now in place. In NH, an “emergency order” was issued by the state governor, Chris Sununu, who – no joke – is actually referred to as “HIS EXCELLENCY” in the order which purportedly bans any gathering of over fifty people.

It’s an outrageous order and contrary to a basic right of humans, which is the right to assemble. It’s also a violation of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In order for many humans to be happy, they need to be around other people. We are a social animal. Now the people calling themselves “the state” or “the government” have decided to threaten everyone with violence if they don’t do as they are told and OBEY – for their own good, of course.

Normally, libertarians are skeptical of the things they are told by government goons, however we’ve seen yet another schism in the movement in the last few weeks over this Coronavirus scare. Apparently if an authoritarian puts on a lab coat then many libertarians will fall under their spell.

I don’t know if Coronavirus is the threat the government and media are making it out to be. I do know this, however:

1. Politicians and bureaucrats lie. There’s no reason to believe they are telling the truth now. There is a long history of governments manufacturing a crisis and spreading fear in order to attain more power. We saw this in a big way prior to Coronavirus in the hysterical paranoia fostered by the state after 9/11. As a result we saw the rise of “Homeland Security” and the further elimination of freedom. The response to Coronavirus is even worse. In some cases like San Francisco people are under total lockdowns. They also use the term “lockdown” in prison.

2. Media benefits when it propagates fear. “If it bleeds, it leads!” News is a business. They have advertisers, so the more people they can get to tune in, the more valuable the ad space. If people are in a state of fear, they are more likely to hang on through that next commercial break. Plus, mainstream news sources depend on government for its press releases and usually incorporate them, verbatim, into their on-air copy. Though in theory their job is to expose political corruption, if they are too good at this, the state agents will not talk to them any longer and then they won’t get “the scoop”, so any critique of government from mainstream media is usually highly limited.

3. Whenever government takes more freedoms, it doesn’t cede that ground back to liberty after the “crisis” has ended.

Keene Bitcoin Network

Keene Bitcoin Meetup

Government gangsters say it and the media propagates it. As a result, people are scared to death of another iteration of the flu that as of this writing, has infected just over 250,000 people globally – according to numbers provided BY THE STATE. Some libertarians believe the governments are downplaying the numbers to keep people calm. Others believe the state agents are inflating the numbers to scare people more. Who knows what the truth is.

I do know this, people are obedient and more than willing to do what they are ordered by people wearing fancy hats, uniforms, and lab coats. They are easily frightened into giving up their freedoms, all for the promise that they’ll be able to continue to suck air.

However, what is the point of living if you can’t make your own choices?

Thankfully, not everyone is living in fear. There are occasional breaks in the fear porn news to reveal that many younger people are still getting together. In New Hampshire some heroic folks have filed a lawsuit against the “State of New Hampshire” over the governor’s unconstitutional and anti-freedom executive order.

If people across New Hampshire don’t stand up and take back their liberties, then we no longer deserve the “live free or die” slogan. To that end, in spite of Sununu’s order, the longest-running weekly social gathering of libertarians in New Hampshire, “Social Sundays” will continue. Previously held at Local Burger on Main St, it has moved to the Bitcoin Embassy NH located at 661 Marlboro St. in Keene. The new start time is now 5pm. Attend at your own risk and bring your own food and drink. If the event gets to over 51 people a special prize will be awarded. No cops allowed.