NH Peace Action Statement on Syria

by | Jun 7, 2012 | 0 comments

The following is a statement released yesterday by New Hampshire Peace Action on the escalating conflict in Syria. From their mission statement, “The members of New Hampshire Peace Action envision a world committed to disarmament and peace, nonviolent conflict resolution, and respect for the rights and inherent worth of all people. We believe that authentic social change comes from the bottom up and we are committed to educating, organizing and advocating from the grassroots level.”

By John Lamperti (NH Peace Action 501c(4) board chair and National Peace Action Board Member), and Will Hopkins (Director, NH Peace Action, NH Peace Action Education Fund)

Especially since the Huala Massacre, there is increasing debate about how the US should react to violence against civilian populations in Syria. While there is no one obvious solution, many possible actions could make things worse. Peace Action believes that the physician’s maxim “First, do no harm” should be our country’s starting point.

Although at present the outcomes of the Arab Spring are unknown, many in the West view the uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa positively, as people taking control of their national destinies. The uprising in Egypt was successful with relatively little blood spilled, while elsewhere protests have been met by extreme violence. In those countries to which the U.S. government is unsympathetic, especially Libya and Syria, US media have extensively covered civilian deaths and violence. The peace movement must hold to a single standard and equally denounce atrocities in US “allies” that allow US bases and access to their resources. (more…)

Radio Free Keene News 2012-06-06

by | Jun 6, 2012 | 0 comments

Radio TowerRadio Free Keene News is a five minute newscast which is available as a podcast and also will air at the top of some hours on LRN.FM.

Topics covered include the FBI investigating Keene activists and court bureaucrats playing with Ademo’s freedom. Here’s the archive:

You can add Radio Free Keene News to your podcast client via this RSS feed.

The Chalking 8: Raw Footage Released

by | Jun 5, 2012 | 0 comments

Earlier today I made public my raw footage taken the day of the police brutality protest outside of Manchester PD on June 4, 2011. The video begins around 4:20 in the afternoon with myself offering chalk to the small crowd gathering across the street before I take an exploratory walk into the police station. I spend the next few minutes inside, talking with civilians at the police department and watching out of the window as the protest swells. The chalking gets well underway while I am still inside, and police approach the crowd, but do not intervene. Time passes, some chalking spreads to the walls of the building, and the police reappear, this time ready to write tickets under the city’s vague graffiti ordinance. Moments after two chalkers are approached, they are arrested upon not immediately presenting identification. Once they are dragged inside, an order is given to start taking cameras from those present outside. Keeping my distance, I try to get as close as possible to get footage of the camera grabbing without becoming victimized myself. Shortly thereafter, two more arrests happen inside while my camera runs on the action outside. The last few moments of my video portray a more relaxed scene, as some of us present converse with officers stationed outside about everything from the events of the day to the morality of modern policing. After the sole battery I owned at the time exhausted, the final four arrests, including my own, would occur.

For the public record, here’s fifty-three minutes of unedited footage from the scene of the Chalking 8 incident.

What Would Neo Choose? What Would You Choose?

by | Jun 5, 2012 | 0 comments

Yesterday I was showing Dave – founder of Suns of Liberty – video editing via Final Cut Pro. What started as an editing lesson turned into a short, but funny, video from the Matrix. Check it out:

Aside from creating the most divisible silver bars available Suns of Liberty is committed to offering information to anyone willing to listen. We plan on doing frequent blogs, videos and more via our website. If you have any suggestions for content please let us know.

Also, check out our .1 Sun video here.

The Chalking 8: Happy Anniversary!

by | Jun 4, 2012 | 1 comment

One year ago today, myself and seven neighbors became the Chalking 8, when we were arrested at a protest outside of the Manchester police department on various charges. Three of the eight quietly plead out to a violation charge, simply to avoid having to finance a court battle over a criminal charge. Representing myself without an attorney at trial, I was able to beat two criminal charges. Ademo Freeman and Wes Gilreath were found guilty of chalking the Manchester police station, and while Ademo has a superior court trial pending, Wes sits in Valley Street jail, not just for the chalking charge, but also for having missed an earlier court date in the process, which was called ‘contempt of court’. He’s been incarcerated since January, and will hopefully be released in the coming weeks.

Kate Ager had a jury trial in May, in which she was found guilty of resisting arrest for what three officers testified was a one to three second delay of the arrest. She was not tried in superior court for the charge under which she was arrested (disorderly conduct) a charge which she was found guilty of at the non-criminal violation level of in district court, thus making the arrest charge itself ineligible to be heard by a jury. The full trial was filmed by two videographers, myself and Ian Freeman. You can see my full trial video in four parts here, and Ian’s footage here.

Yesterday Ademo posted to Free Keene and Cop Block an update on his case. His jury selection and trial dates were sent in an odd envelope to a random address from the court, and the prosecutor is trying to use the government’s error to prevent him from receiving a jury trial. The Cop Block post with video is here.

Today’s rain makes it a less than ideal day to chalk the police in anniversary. Keep an eye on Free Concord for more coverage of the Chalking 8 case.