Report from my "raid" on Nashua PD

[Dave Ridley]

Okie for what it's worth I made another of my silent sign-wielding raids this week, this time at Nashua Police department. My sign said

NPD:  PLZ
RETURN MIKE
GANNON'S PROPERTY
nhfree.com

Gannon is the "outlaw videotaper" charged (somewhat falsely) with videotaping police sans consent, and whose video equipment was confiscated.  The charges have been dropped but NPD still has his cameras.

I went into the lobby and there was no one around.  So I stood there with my sign and aimed it at the reception area on the other side of the bulletproof glass.   Eventually a receptionist type walked back into the area and did a doubletake. She picked up her little microphone device that they use to converse with the peasants.  She asked me if she could help me.  I nooded.  She asked me if there was anyone I need to speak to. I shook my head.

She said..."so you just want to stand there and hold the sign." I nooded.  I did this for about ten minutes, aimed it at her, at another lady who walked in, and held it in front of each of their surveillance cameras for a while without blocking the view.    She kept picking up the phone and paging a seargant for some reason....wonder what that could be  LOL.   Then I got bored and went outside to see if I could find any people around back to point the sign at.  But before I got very far the door opened behind me and an officer walked toward me.  He said "hey pardner!"   Then he walked closer and said that the property area wouldn't be open until monday and I couldn't get "my property" until then.   


At first he assumed I was mike gannon, and when he kept saying that, i kept shaking my head.   He said so you're not mike gannon but you want us to give mike gannon some property back?  I nodded.  He started to look amused. But he didn't seem to know about the case based on just the gannon name.

I showed him a piece of paper I had prewritten that said "I have the right to remain silent. *You* have the right to question NPD's violations of the Fourth Amendment"  At the bottom it had my name in case he asked who I was (but I didn't carry any id).

He said...so....you have the right to question NPD?  I shook my head and pointed at him.  He said..."*I* have the right to question NPD?"  I nodded. And he said basically "I'm just a city employee, so... you're saying I have the right to question myself?"  And I nodded. 

He maintained a polite demeanor but said basically:  "Well you can feel free to demonstrate on the sidewalks out by the road and all, but you can't stay here.  It's a place of business and I"m going to have to ask you to leave.  I appreciate what you're trying to do.  But this could be considered criminal trespass and I could arrest you.   I don't know if that's what you want... I hope not because I have an easy day ahead of me and don't want to have to go to the trouble."

He said he would inform the captain and someone else, and that I could come back on monday if I worked for Gannon. I shook my head.  I think he said "so you don't work for gannon." I shook it again.  He repeated that he would inform others of my visit, and at that point I reached out and offered my hand, which he shook.  Then, I began backing away from NPD at a rate of about 20 feet per minute with the sign aimed at them.   It took a while LOL.   There were lots of windows facing me so i'm assuming a few more folks got to see the sign while pretending not to be looking out the windows. 

[KBCraig]

Dave, they're going to come after you with a tranquilizer gun and a big net. 

[TackleTheWorld]

Dada Orwell
Test Pilot of Civil Disobedience

[aries]

At least the guy was nice to you

[Kat Kanning]

That was really cool, Dada.

[Russell Kanning]

That is funny .... and they will have to talk about it.

[Kat Kanning]

I can just see him standing there silently wearing the zombie face

[Tom Sawyer]

A zombie sighting today at the Live Free or Die Rally.
Photo credit Kira Jane

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[Soundwave]

I could arrest you.   I don't know if that's what you want... I hope not because I have an easy day ahead of me and don't want to have to go to the trouble."

So typical...

[Dave Ridley]

I think 90 percent of it is how you treat them; it gets reflected back at you.   All this stuff I hear about cop abuse, I believe it but I almost never experience it because I usually treat them with respect.  Obviously I wasn't saying anything in this case but I hope my demeanor was pleasant.    I think cops are like everyone else in a way; they respect polite firmness....also they don't have a lot of experience dealing with that in their jobs I bet...I suspect mostly what they get is subservient or abusive reactions. 

So as I keep saying: We need to get better at being kind to them on a personal level and attacking only their actions, only in a respectful manner if possible.    Although I can't stop myself from attaching the word bereaucrat to them from time to time, like ian.  He always adds the word bureaucrat to the end of any government title LOL.  Homeland Security Director-Bureaucrat Michal Chertoff.   Attorney General-Bureaucrat Kelly Ayote , etc.    LOL    It's one vice i probably could never part with, but it came from a good source and it's just so fun to say....

Enough about me...when am I going to hear from you guys about your experiences with signs inside bureaucrat offices?

[Russell Kanning]

Maybe someday we will make it into the IRS office in Keene with signs..... or they will close up before we get a chance.

[Kat Kanning]

I love the group photo of Dada 

[Dave Ridley]

When he said:

"I could arrest you.   I don't know if that's what you want... I hope not because I have an easy day ahead of me and don't want to have to go to the trouble."

This was the part that turned on the light bulbs in my mind.   If that really is a typical attitude, not only among cops but hopefully among prosecutors and judges, then that is their weakness and that is how we get them to do the right thing.   If we can make it so that certain abuses result in them having to "go to trouble" we can deter those abuses by putting them to trouble, or making known in advance that they will go to trouble.  I guess the obvious way to put them to trouble is getting arrested, but maybe there are others.    Ideas?

Obviously reaching them on a moral plane, or their bosses, or the people who fund them is another method.

[Russell Kanning]

We can cause them trouble (paperwork) and use up some of their time, so they will have less time for donuts and will be healthier too.

[d_goddard]

Dada, every time my admiration for you reaches ats theoretical maximum, you go ahead and outdo yourself!
:applause:

Any photos or video from this event? Cameras should be a must-have for any CD, or even simple sign-holding, or even just going to the PD to fill out a complaint request.

As John C said when he called in to FTL the other night, upset citizens are definitely going to be bringing this up to the legislature next session. Abuses happen in all states; this is the state where we draw the line in the sand and get things FIXED.

There are many things that need to be done to make society more Free; one of the most immediate and effective here in NH is to take advantage of the fact that we do have a true citizen legislature.