Manch: Gagged press silent protest 6/7/2011

[Dave Ridley]

Shortly after 6:45 p.m. on June 7, I will quietly enter the public comment session at Manchester's Board of Alderman meeting. My mouth will be gagged, and there will be a small sign on my forehead. The sign will read "MPD gags indie press." I'm prepared to be arrested rather than denied entry. I will get in line to speak if the Board wishes but will not insist on it since I live in Bedford

Other concerned citizens are invited to join me, if possible with disposable cameras or gagged mouths of their own. But I urge you to remain NON-DISRUPTIVE in the meeting. Let the police do the disrupting; let them do it in front of the their Board.

This mini-protest stems from Manchester Police Department's actions on June 4th. On that day, cops busted...a cop brutality protest! More importantly, they seized many cameras from YouTubers who were lawfully documenting the demonstration. One of the cameras was mine. My understanding is that there may also have been some sort of harassment of individuals who tried to go through MPD's "camera return process." I'm trying to find out more about that allegation. Plz RSVP that you are attending....only if you are attending.

Any police crackdowns on the board meeting event are actually most likely to occur well outside the chamber itself. If possible, avoid traveling to and from it alone. If arrests *are* in progress *outside* the meeting, I'd ask that instead of yelling at the police...you simply sing "We Shall Overcome." No complicated songs. Just We Shall Overcome.

Perhaps after MPD has been reformed or stripped of "monopoly" status...travel, protest and videography will become safe again.

The immediate goals of this event are:

1) Increase the size and activity level of New Hampshire's smaller-government movement.
2) Achieve a relatively speedy return of all our confiscated cameras...preferably by June 10. Personally I'd likely be willing to go through MPD's return process as long as they're willing to let the process occur in an open manner, recorded by multiple witnesses.

If goal #2 is not met, or if I'm arrested for simply trying to attend an open meeting in this manner, a series of additional events will unfold. These may include *some* of the following:

1) Alternate demonstrations against MPD abuses. I especially recommend that one occur at the intersection of 101 and 114 in Bedford. More Manchester residents see that intersection than the one where MPD is located. And it falls under the rule of a police department which has been more supportive of the peoples' liberties.
2) Renewed (but preferably harmless) demonstrations outside the MPD offices on Chestnut. I'm not a big fan of the chalking on buildings.
3) Follow-up activity or protests outside Aldermanic meetings.
4) Involvement of the state reps and/or their Petition for Redress process.
5) Lawsuits against MPD or its operatives.
6) A continuation of the methods that have worked well in the past...Letters-to-Editor, video creation, civil disobedience, rallies, liasing with the local/national/international mainstream press.
7) The attempted sparking of a Manchester Spring...a smaller version of the Cairo Spring that partially liberated Egypt. There's probably only a ten percent chance that could be achieved here at this time, but ten percent is a chance worthy of some risk-taking. Police overreaction creates new opportunity for change. Should such a Manchester Spring occur, its goal should be similar to the goal of the Egyptian revolution....i.e. the removal or resignation of whichever figure is most responsible for recent MPD abuses.

If I disappear into Manchester's gulag, I request that some of the items 1 through 7 be undertaken by others. You can find additional action items at

http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=17486.0

These are especially useful if you are not currently in-state.

I'd also request that everyone try to treat all area authorities respectfully (though not always obediently). Once they begin cooling down and taking more positive steps like camera return, once they chill on the activist-arresting and detention of political prisoners, we should begin easing pressure on them as well. De-escalation is a two way street.

[Lloyd Danforth]

They will probably wonder why the Indiana Press is in Manchester

[Dave Ridley]

Here's the Facebook page for it. 
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=158475154217994

Sending a letter to Chief Mara giving him a heads-up, will post it here when complete.

[Dave Ridley]

Hi Chief... Dave Ridley here.  I am sorry us liberty folk do not always do the best job of informing you in advance of our plans.  Announcing events to the police...that's what Dr. King would have done, but sometimes I think we just get lazy or figure you'll read about it on our news outlets.  Anyway, here's my courtesy note for you letting you know what will be going on tomorrow (at least the parts I'm planning).  If there is a way I can assist you in making this a non-disruptive event - without attriting it - don't hesitate to let me know.  I'll consider any requests or legitimate demands.  However calling isn't the best way to reach me at the moment.  My phone may be disposable, but you still have it!

Here's the calendar entry:
http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=22912.msg336258#msg336258

[Dave Ridley]

Hi Mayor:  Dave Ridley here.  I am sorry us liberty folk do not always do the best job of informing the authorities in advance of our plans.  Announcing certain events to the police...that's what Dr. King would have done, but sometimes I think we just get lazy or figure you'll read about it on our news outlets. 

Anyway, here's my courtesy note letting you know about my plans for a silent, respectful protest of sorts tomorrow:

http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=22912.msg336258#msg336258

I'd leave you a phone number, but your police seized my phone.  No, I wasn't one of the chalkers or yelling voices.  Looks like some of your allies and friends will be supporting me tomorrow. I hope you can too.   

[Russell Kanning]

sounds good to me

[KingCast]

Wow, good call. I was just up there last night meeting with Liko Kenney's lawyers. And of course you know they are some head-cracking Men in Blue over there, just ask Chris Miklovich and that other bloke who recently settled their cases. Horrific stuff, mate.

http://christopher-king.blogspot.com/2010/07/kingcast-sees-chris-micklovich-go-free.html


Meanwhile I bcc'd you on this email, beware the snakes when you prepare to sue:

http://christopher-king.blogspot.com/2011/06/kingcast-asks-landya-b-mccafferty-why.html

07 JUNE 2011

KingCast asks U.S. Magistrate Landya B. McCafferty: Why did you recuse yourself in U.S. v. Issacson the minute Peter McGrath, Esq. signed on as counsel?

[Dave Ridley]

Here's a sort of "jail will and testament" should they put me away Canario style over this. 

I'm requesting that folks carry out some of the action items listed in the first post on this thread.  In my absence. And that they carry out this protest outside Nashua City Council as well, also in a polite manner:

http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=22882.0

[Sam A. Robrin]

Great plan!  Great, except for the "We Shall Overcome" part.  Singing that will just expose the sad fact that Free Staters are too lazy to find their own songs and sing them, and would rather just coopt the most obvious song from another movement.
     This little anecdote offers a better solution:

"[In Birmingham] they started singing a new song that summer.  It went to the tune of 'The Old Gray Mare.'  There wasn't only a song; there was a dance that went with it—sort of a hesitation step with a twist and a step forward and then backward.  The singers would use it like this: Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth would be lecturing everyone in the church, explaining all about nonresistance.  "It's to be a silent demonstration," he would say.  'No songs, no slogans, no replies to obscenities.'  Everyone would nod. 'However,' the reverend would add, 'when you're arrested, sing your hearts out.'  So, all the young people would file out of church, solemn as deacons, quiet as mice.  Then a cop would come along and shout, 'You're all under arrest!'  That was the cue.  Suddenly there were five hundred bodies moving at once, their voice shouting out:
         Ain't a-scared of your jail 'cause I want my freedom,
               Want my freedom,
                     Want my freedom,
         Ain't a-scared of your jail, 'cause I want my freedom,
                                 I want my freedom now!"
                     —Len Holt.

"...in Mississippi we had a Freedom Day.  One lady brought her little son.  He had a sign, say: I'M TOO YOUNG TO VOTE, BUT MY MOTHER WANT TO...  a policeman called him over and said, "If you don't pull off that sign and throw it away, boy, I'm gonna throw you in jail."
     The little boy remembered the song that we sing, and he looked to the policeman and said, "Mister, I ain't scared of your jail, 'cause I want my freedom!"
                     --Sam Block

I AIN'T SCARED OF YOUR JAIL  (Pete Seeger--to "The Old Gray Mare")
Pete Seeger - We Shall Overcome s1p1

I ain't scared of your jail,
      'Cause I want my freedom,
            'Cause I want my freedom,
                  'Cause I want my freedom.
   I ain't scared of your jail,
         'Cause I want my freedom.
                   I want my freedom now!

Alternate first lines:
   We'll march downtown
   We'll go to jail
   I served 90 days
   I ain't scared of your dogs / sticks / hose ...
   I don't mind dying
   I ain't scared of no Bull [a reference to Sheriff "Bull" Connor]
   We'll never turn back
      Till we get our freedom
   [Then, as usual, the first verse is also the last]


Or pick:
"Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round" ( Ain't Gonna Let Nobody )
"Eyes on the Prize" ( Keep Your Eyes On That Prize, Hold On )
"Everybody Sing Freedom" ( Lilies of the Field - Amen  / 
Harry Belafonte Sings AMEN at Sidney Poitier's AFI Life Achievement Award )
"Freedom Is Coming" ( FREEDOM IS COMING... )
"Oh, Freedom" ( Oh Freedom! )
"I'm On My Way to Freedom Land!" ( "I'm on my way to freedom land." (song) )
"This Little Light of Mine" ( ! Private video  / 
This little light of mine )
"Up Above My Head" ( Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Up Above My Head )
"Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Stayed on Freedom" ( http://amso.alexanderstreet.com/Play/HL_yW_6ROZhHyWNd0RALY6hdpr_lX6yTL2RCMZh6N_L_ETL2RCZCVbbhjyl2pd_TL2ROhrlpyd6Tjyl2pd_RO-OxiVh_yWdgTNlRVh_0Wr0R6HV3H3MdOG~d~2CC )


I have ready-to-print songsheets available at a moment's notice for any or all of them.

[K. Darien Freeheart]

Posted at the request of Dave Ridley.

[mauiguy]

Posted at the request of Dave Ridley.

A bigger sign, in bold print, tucked into a reporter style fedora might make the look a little smoother.

*edit 7:09pm* Just checked the time. A little too late to make adjustments I guess.

Good on ya Ridley! Well done! 

[KingCast]

Posted at the request of Dave Ridley.

Dave in watching this again I do not hear them at any point command you to stop filming.

That will become important down the road, trust me.

I'm off to DC to shoot another Mortgage Movie at the House Judiciary but will check in.
C

[Russell Kanning]

i love those songs

[Sam A. Robrin]

I love the effects they can have!