Oppressive Regimes Threatened By Free Satellite Signals – Help LRN.FM Fund More Via Patreon!

Destruction of Satellite Dishes in Iran

100,000 Satellite Dishes Confiscated & Destroyed in Iran

In many parts of the world, especially poorer ones, internet access is barely available, and if it is at all, it’s expensive and slow. There also isn’t much in the way of in-home entertainment options as cable TV is non-existent as people cannot afford it. To get their news and entertainment, many people in the world turn to the sky, especially in oppressive regimes.

In places like China, Cuba and Iran, satellite receivers and dishes are illegal. Police even conduct regular raids of homes suspected of using satellite, still people’s thirst for freedom of information persists. In a story from last year about Iran destroying 100,000 siezed satellite dishes and receivers, Al Jazeera reported:

Iranian police regularly raid neighbourhoods and confiscate dishes from rooftops, and under Iranian law, satellite equipment is banned and those who distribute, use, or repair them can be fined up to $2,800…”Reforming this law is very necessary as using satellite is strictly prohibited, but most people use it,” he said. “This means that 70 percent of Iranians violate the law” by owning satellite dishes.

At the destruction “ceremony”, General Mohammad Reza Naghdi, the head of Iran’s Basij militia, explained the dangers of freedom of information via satellite:

“The truth is that most satellite channels… deviate the society’s morality and culture…What these televisions really achieve is increased divorce, addiction and insecurity in society…Most of these satellite channels not only weaken the foundation of families but also cause disruptions in children’s education and children who are under the influence of satellite have improper behaviour” (emphasis added)

Satellite Dish Graveyard in Mosul, Iraq

Countless Satellite Dishes Confiscated and Destroyed by the Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq

Yes, he really used the phrase, “under the influence of satellite”! Besides his fearmongering, Naghdi is not admitting the real reason oppressive governments crack down on freedom of information.

Information, in this case delivered via Free-to-Air satellite, is a clear danger to the authoritarian state. They spend so much effort brainwashing their people via state schools and controlling local broadcast media, they can’t just allow all that to be undone by signals they can’t control coming from the sky!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have the message of liberty, cryptocurrency, and peace beamed down to the people under the boot of oppressive regimes worldwide?

The good news is it’s been happening 24/7 for most of this decade, thanks to LRN.FM’s Free-to-Air satellite channels over North and Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa! LRN.FM features dozens of liberty-oriented shows, both in live and podcast form, uncensored, streamed 24/7 online and broadcast internationally via Free-to-Air satellite. Free-to-Air means that no subscription is needed to receive the channels. They are TV or radio channels broadcast “in-the-clear”, direct-to-home.

As you can see here on our new satellite funding Patreon, we’re already making an impact on people in places like Cameroon, Africa. (Number 130 on the press freedom index for 2017.):


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Artists And Activists Gather In Manchester’s Underground Club

Artsy Fartsy, a long-running tradition in Manchester, New Hampshire, is an event where a plethora of performances take place. Free staters and their friends gather to socialize, to showcase talents and to share history.

Many videos of Artsy Fartsy performances can be seen here.

Shire Dude has commenced production on the latest batch of recorded performances, starting with his infamous helicopter story.

Subscribe to Shire Dude on YouTube to see more performances as they are produced.

VIDEO: Business Owner Arrested for Crossing Street at DUI Checkpoint in Manchester

NHexit Rally in Keene, July 2016

Chris Waid (right), safely demonstrating for NH independence, in the median on Main St. in Keene in 2016.

On April 20th, Manchester police conducted another DUI checkpoint, believed to be the first of 2017. As always, Cop Blockers and more than a dozen other liberty activists came out with signs redirecting peaceful motorists away from turning down Bridge St, where they would have hit the checkpoint.

Longtime Manchester Cop Blocker Riaz Kahan stated that the interdiction was a major success, with 90% of cars that were intending to turn towards the checkpoint being redirected to another route, avoiding unnecessary police harassment. Manchester police conduct at least a few of these checkpoints per year and activists from all over the state are attracted to help. It’s another unprecedented level of activism that happens easily and regularly in New Hampshire, since there are active migrations of libertarians moving here. (Check out 101 reasons why, here.)

However, for the first time in the history of Manchester’s checkpoints, an activist was arrested. Not for DUI, but for crossing the street, walking toward the checkpoint.

Keene-based activist and privacy-centric computer hardware entrepreneur Christopher Waid was the victim of the police’s most recent attack on freedom of the press. We were merely trying to cross the street so as to better observe the police’s unconstitutional checkpoint activity. However as we began to approach the median multiple police shouted at us including officer #1, Robert Harrington, who you may remember as the cop who popped Derrick J Freeman’s car door open without permission several years back. Here’s the video of Chris’ arrest and post-bail interview:

Chris is a weekly co-host on syndicated radio show Free Talk Live, where we discussed the arrest on last Friday’s show. He’s a rare breed – a business owner who is willing to put his very freedom on the line. If more business owners had this level of courage, they could just ignore the government rather than obey them, and the government would have to go away.

In addition to standing up for freedom of the press, Chris is an active police accountability activist, with many hours logged in the streets, recording cops. It is his right to stand where he wants, so long as he’s not actively interfering in police investigations. By standing in the median, he’s taking his risk and the police have no obligation to protect him, especially from himself. If they try to use the argument that them yelling at him was for his own safety, that hopefully won’t hold up in court. We’ve been in medians frequently for activism in Keene and police here have been mostly respectful towards us. By the way, Chris is a homeowner in Keene, to which he moved his linux hardware business, Think Penguin in early 2016.

He’s currently facing a “Disorderly Conduct” Class A charge – the police’s favorite catch-all to target people they don’t like. Of course, we’ll continue to follow Chris’ case closely here on Free Keene, so stay tuned.

VIDEO: State Representative Dick Marple OWNS District Court Judge

Dick Marple is a military veteran, former cop, and four-term state representative from Hooksett, New Hampshire.

In May of 2016, he was arrested on a warrant for driving with an invalid license and released on $4,000 personal recognizance.

He attended an arriagnment in June (video here) and challenged the court’s jurisdiction among other things, and then was arrested while campaigning on election day, November 9th. Police say he failed to appear at Concord District Court to answer to charges of driving while license suspended and “prohibitions” regarding an allegedly invalid license.

This week, Dick was back in court for a case status hearing, where he let the judge have it, in front of a full courtroom. Here’s the amazing video:

In addition to this court battle, Marple is also facing down the town of Hooksett regarding unpaid property taxes. (more…)

UBER Grandma Trial Date Moved Again, Facing $7,500 in Fines for Driving

UBER Grandma Driver Stephanie Franz

Civilly Disobedient UBER Driver Stephanie Franz, courtesy CBS Boston

It’s been almost a year since Stephanie Franz aka “UBER Grandma” was the first UBER driver cited for driving people safely to their destination in Portsmouth, NH. The city has been targeting brave UBER drivers with tickets for operating without government permission slips. In the Summer of 2015 the city gang declared UBER drivers who did not jump through the city’s hoops in addition to UBER’s background check and sign up process, would be targeted for ticketing.

The heroic grandmother has been ticketed multiple times in the last year and has racked up at least $7,500 in fines.  She’s also been targeted by local taxi drivers for harassment and vandalism of her car.

UBER has provided Stephanie with an attorney and she’s ready to face down the city gang in court. However, there have been multiple reschedulings of the date, so hopefully this is the final one: Please join UBER Grandma at Portsmouth District Court at 8am on December 13th (here’s a facebook event) and support her courageous stand for your freedom to drive people places without having to ask government permission!