Free Speech Trial

[Kat Kanning]

The article was from today's Union Leader, page A2.

[Russell Kanning]

not very accurate.

[JonM]

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Political+protesters%E2%80%99+charges+dropped&articleId=b864290c-c9b9-4c47-be1b-e0470357ff91

Linked to it on the FSP newswire as well.

[Dreepa]

It says that the President was inside at the time.  That is not true ,right?  You guys were arrested long before he got there.

Oh I forgot to mention that there was someone near the corner of Elm street taking pictures of the group as we waited for people to arrive.

[Recumbent ReCycler]

Defending liberty starts young in the Free State.

Roger, thanks for the great photo.  I didn't realise that Joy was holding the hand fan like that when you took the picture.  I was wondering how I would link to the photo so that I can post it on my myspace page.  I've run out of space for storing photos on there.

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Political+protesters%E2%80%99+charges+dropped&articleId=b864290c-c9b9-4c47-be1b-e0470357ff91

Linked to it on the FSP newswire as well.

The article said that they were arrested while the president was giving a speech in the hotel.  Weren't they arrested before the president arrived?  Is someone going to submit feedback to that article pointing out the errors?  I think a correction should be printed in tomorrow's paper.

[Kat Kanning]

http://www.soulawakenings.com/underground/tikiwiki/show_image.php?id=2020&nocount=y

[Russell Kanning]

There are many problems with that UL article.

We were not in a "secure area" .... people were walking freely on the sidewalk .... if they didn't have signs.
We had planned on leaving an hour and a half before the president was to arrive.

They wrote their article from the point of view of the government ... they did not bother to contact us.

[FTL_Ian]

There are many problems with that UL article.

We were not in a "secure area" .... people were walking freely on the sidewalk .... if they didn't have signs.
We had planned on leaving an hour and a half before the president was to arrive.

They wrote their article from the point of view of the government ... they did not bother to contact us.

Bums.  Sounds like a LTE is in order.

[Atlas]

Congrats Kat and Russ!

[Russell Kanning]

The monitor called and got details from me this afternoon.

[BaRbArIaN]

Nice!   Tho the Union Leader makes it sound like you got off on a technicality rather than a reluctance of the administration to openly squelch political speech rights.

[Dave Ridley]

Here's a quickie news release I'm sending to web forums.  You can do the same.  lemme know any errors you see.

-----

From NHfree.com

Manchester, N.H.
6/2/06

Bearing pitchforks, signs and pistols, twenty-five demonstrators got what they were after Friday at Manchester District Court.

The City of Manchester decided to drop charges against two libertarian activists its officers arrested in February.

Russell Kanning and Kat Dillon of Keene were carrying anti-Federal signs on Feb. 8 across the street from the Radisson Hotel, where President Bush was speaking.  Secret Service agents, then Manchester Police, ordered them to move into a nearby "Free Speech Zone" where demonstrators were being herded.  They refused and were promptly arrested.

City solicitor Gregg Muller told reporters he dropped the case because he did not have a Secret Service agent he could call to testify against the couple.

Muller, Manchester Police and local Secret Service agents had been the brunt of unhappy phone calls and angry signs since the arrests occurred.  Today's demonstrators sported placards reading "All NH is a Free Speech Zone" and sparred verbally with police, who seemed caught off guard by the size of the protest.  Two attempted to enter the courthouse with pitchforks and were asked to check them in as weapons.   Upon arriving at the security checkpoint, one demonstrator announced that he wished to check a firearm at the entrance, then shocked police by producing four pistols, butt first. 

Manchester Police informed him that one of the guns was "suspicious" and called the ATF to report him.  They then returned the weapon. 

As for Dillon and Kanning, they have returned *home* and say they are invigorated by the experience.  But Dillon says she has at least one gripe:

"No one apologized to us about the arrest."

Sources:

Union Leader:  http://www.soulawakenings.com/underground/kat_rus.pdf

NHfree.com forum discussion: 
http://forum.soulawakenings.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=670f13e36f6de0656b725827076a587b&topic=3063.315

[Dave Ridley]

I called MPD to inquire about Defender's run in with them.   I talked to a very pleasant lt. to told me that he didn't have any information but that normally court security police would handle this.  Defender you are sure these were MPD guys right? 

The Lt. referred me to Capt. Mara, who we have discussed somewhat earlier in this thread.  I'll leave him another voice mail perhaps, this time regarding this incident.

BTW the Lt. used the word "constitution" without any prompting...and I told him I appreciated that      

[Recumbent ReCycler]

I remember reading "Manchester Police Department" on their uniforms.  The guys who took my guns were court security, although I think there was n MPD officer or two who joined them when I asked what the procedure was for checking in firearms.  The two guys who cleared my first two handguns were wearing dark blue uniforms.  They weren't behind the counter later when we were hanging out in the lobby.  Court security also told me that they wanted to confirm that the pen gun was legal before returning it.  It was Manchester Police officers who interrogated me while I was waiting for the return of my handguns and who escorted me out of the building.  Unfortunately most of the video was of the floor.  The only glimpse of video that I have of one of the officers who was interrogating me was from his waist down.  He was wearing a dark blue uniform.  I think Mike was probably nervous and didn't want the officers to think that he was videotaping.  In the future, we will have to start using more diverse recording devices.  It would have been nice to have a hidden camera or two, and some small microphones that don't look like microphones.

[Tom Sawyer]

Wow Dada's writeup got me going.. well done from the great communicator. Maybe, mention women and children next time.

Defender, I would suggest against secret recording of the cops... as a last resort yeah, but a possible crime. Don't be afraid to point the camera, you can always back down if they apply more pressure than you feel comfortable with. All you need is one quick close up shot to establish who it is then stand close enough to get good audio. Audio is more important than picture.

For future adventures let me know the timing of your "lawful act" and I can try to get something. Wireless audio... that could be very useful.
PS I'm glad you like the shot of your daughter... it was great to see kids.