Did the government arrest Adam Kokesh to forestall the DC march?

[TampaAnimusVortex]

http://antiwar.com/blog/2013/05/20/criminalizing-disobedience-adam-kokesh-anti-war-activist-is-arrested/

This past weekend, Kokesh attended a marijuana legalization event in Philadelphia. Armed with a nothing but a microphone, Kokesh and several dozen others counted down from ten to light up their joints in defiance of the authoritarian drug prohibitions. From the footage, you can see officers marching into the center of the crowd, where Kokesh was, and arresting him. According to many who were there, Kokesh did not himself smoke any weed. But he seemed to be a priority compared to the countless others there illegally smoking marijuana that police briskly walked by without any intent to arrest. You can also see from the several videos taken at the scene that Kokesh did not resist arrest, and instead put his hands up and stood straight while several officers man-handled him.

According to freeadam.net Kokesh is being charged with grabbing an officers arm after being pushed – a “felony assault.” The video doesn’t show any evidence of that allegation, but either way, the arrest is an affront to liberty.

I didn't see him assault anyone in the video in the link above, and given his philosophy of non-aggression, I don't think he really would unless it was a defensive situation. He is pretty adamant about non-aggression, as per his video below.

[Tx4obama]

1. Additional article below

Philly police bust libertarian activist Adam Kokesh during ‘smoke down’ pot rally


Libertarian activist and Iraq veteran Adam Kokesh was arrested Saturday at a “smoke down prohibition” marijuana rally in Philadelphia after police moved in on the crowd at 4:20 p.m. in an apparent show of force.

In Philadelphia, marijuana possession under 30 grams is punishable by a small fine and the offense is classified similarly to a parking ticket. Since decriminalization went through, activists have taken to staging open-smoking events at Independence National Historical Park, and police have mostly just ignored them.

Sunday’s event was different, however. As police milled ever-closer to the roughly 60 to 75 demonstrators present at the national park, a man with access to the public announcement system began counting down to 4:20, urging the crowd to “light that shit” in direct disobedience to signs police placed around the area insisting that nobody would be allowed to smoke marijuana. “Fuck the law, smoke it anyway!” Kokesh shouted into the microphone. “Bring it in! Hey, everybody show some love. Make it difficult for the police here.”

A total of five people were arrested during the event. Two of them — Kokesh and “Panic Hour” comedy writer N.A. Poe — remain in the Philadelphia jail pending a hearing set for later this week, according to supporters. It’s not clear what the official charges are, but the incident happened on federal land, meaning Kokesh and Poe could face charges of assaulting a federal officer, a crime that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

-snip-

It didn’t take long for conspiracy host Alex Jones to claim that Kokesh was intentionally targeted by federal officers due to his plans for a July 4 gun rally in Washington, D.C., which bans anyone except law enforcement officers from carrying a firearm in the city. His former group, Iraq Veterans Against the War, disowned Kokesh’s plan in a statement earlier in May, warning that the march may endanger participants.

-snip-

Full article here: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/20/philly-police-bust-libertarian-activist-adam-kokesh-during-smoke-down-pot-rally/

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022872725

[msanthrope]

3. He had to push it at a federal park....nt

[FSogol]

2. Asshole trying to get arrested gets arrested. What a surprise!

[TampaAnimusVortex]

4. You apparently didnt read it that well...

According to many who were there, Kokesh did not himself smoke any weed. But he seemed to be a priority compared to the countless others there illegally smoking marijuana that police briskly walked by without any intent to arrest.

So again, your supporting arresting people for what exactly?

[FSogol]

6. So Philadelphia Police Department now equals Federal Agents?

Alex Jones says hi.

[TampaAnimusVortex]

8. So your accusing anti-war.com of siding with Alex Jones also then it seems...

Interesting, as they also in the article posit the hypothesis.

Is it possible that Adam is being charged with these offenses in order to obstruct his planned march in July? I don’t know. But in any case, what we have here is a peaceful activist, a non-violent resister, and he’s been thrown in jail not for being harmful to anybody’s person or property, but for being disobedient in the face of unjust laws.

Also, as I stated in another thread - inter-agency cooperation happens all the time. A call from DHS to Philly PD would almost certainly ensure a few cars get sent over to pick him up.

Just admit it, you don't like Adam, so your fine with whomever planting drugs on him and making him disappear - I mean after all, the rights of those you don't like doesn't matter at all right? Maybe they can make some more people you don't like disappear as well?

[arcane1]

5. Define "the government". I doubt the Philadelphia PD gives a rat's ass about the 7/04 "event"

[TampaAnimusVortex]

7. I left that open because inter-agency cooperation happens all the time.

It wouldn't take but a call from DHS down to Philly PD and they would easily send a few cars over to pick someone up. I couldn't tell from the video though what badges were on those officers. Who knows.