Rainbow Children Detained in the name of Homeland Security!!!!

[norml]

Rainbow Children Detained in the name of Homeland Security!!!!
by 1st Ammendment at risk
Tuesday Jun 27th, 2006 11:54 AM
right to assemble
Rainbow Children Detained in the name of Homeland Security!!!!


Please take the time to read this and do your part to help. Details are at the bottom on how to help.


Thanks: The Freedom Files w Heretic.X
I Have Woken UP!
Corporations_Ate_My_BABY!

Summary:

Since 1972 people from all over the US and the world make a trek to the National Forests for something called "The Gathering Of The Tribes" to express activism mixed with alternative spiritual practices and prayer.

The Bush Administration has spent millions of dollars trying to stop the Rainbow Gatherings. 500 people who have been issued citations, are then being herded into "trials" like none anyone has seen before in America.

These pseudo trials are likely prototypes for what Homeland Security will use in the cases of insurrection or even a plague. Defendants inexplicably lose the right to a public hearing (this year these hearings are being held behind closed doors in a firehouse garage near the site.)

Attorneys and legal observers have been denied the right to even view these trials. The defendants are not explained their rights nor afforded the right to an attorney, the right to summon witnesses, the right to a jury trial, even fresh water!

We must understand that if these citizens lose their constitutional right to gather, we all lose such rights. This year the Rainbow Gathering is being used to set precedents that will be turned against drug policy, civil liberty, anti-war or other activists in the near future. Phone Numbers and A list Of Actions You Can Take Are listed at the end of the full story posted below and marked with **asterisks**.

snip

Some resources to research these issues further:

The best Rainbow website:
http://www.welcomehome.org

A good article written before the feds came down hard:
http://www.csindy.com

More recent coverage:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com and

http://www.denverpost.com

snip

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/06/27/18283162.php

[mike_c]

1. welcome to Amerika...

Land of the fearful, home of the conformant.

[ThomCat]

2. If this stands then our the bill fo rights is dead.

[anarch]

3. well, folks...it couldn't get any clearer than this

"Attorneys and legal observers have been denied the right to even view these trials. The defendants are not explained their rights nor afforded the right to an attorney, the right to summon witnesses, the right to a jury trial, even fresh water!"

Welcome Home!

These people are basically having a group camping trip for fucks sake. They've always been harassed by various law enforcement agencies, because, well, they're anti-establishment. But if the Reichssicherheitshauptamt, errr, I mean Homeland Security Police, can round them up like this, basically any dissenting group can be equally denied their rights. A big anti-war demonstration? No problem, just round 'em up and put 'em in one of the camps.

This makes me physically sick.

[Beelzebud]

4. Whats pathetic is that the Rainbow people are the most harmless

folks you could ever want to meet...

I can't believe they are being treated this way. These are the type of people that would give you their last bite of food if you were hungry...

[anarch]

6. yeah, and I guess that makes them the polar opposite of the Bush people

Who would steal your last handful of rice from your dying hands if they thought they could make a fucking buck off it.

I'm serious, this really makes me physically sick. Can we call it fascism now?

[formercia]

20. Those who refuse to join the collective

will be destroyed.

Because they have no power, they become the victims. Typical bully mentality to attack those who won't defend themselves.

[formercia]

23. The Supreme Court just did something

Illegal detentions are unlawful.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1532722

What applies to prisoners in Guantanamo also apply here in the USA.

[pushycat]

12. I think the harmless ones are singled out purposely. fear factor

[nashville_brook]

22. FBI terrorist watchlist public enemy number one: PEACENIKS

and environmentalists. It's the lumber and defense industries having a private security force with the FBI...


http://www.alternet.org/rights/33949/

What are political and activist groups like Indymedia and Food Not Bombs doing on the FBI's Terrorist Watch List?

More evidence that the U.S. government is justifying surveillance of political dissidence under the guise of monitoring "terrorism" has recently come to light. Early this March an FBI agent's presentation at the University of Texas law school listed Indymedia, Food Not Bombs, the Communist Party of Texas and "anarchists" as groups on the FBI's "Terrorist Watch List" for central Texas.

...

Rene Salinas, a spokesperson for the FBI San Antonio field office, said that the FBI "doesn't put people on the Terror Watch List for grins." He said that a group has to act or participate in a group connected with terrorism. He declined to say whether any of the groups Rasner mentioned have connections to terrorism or how terrorism is defined. He did say that the Terror Watch List helps keep different law enforcement agencies informed about suspect characters. Salinas described a scenario where the list could help a police officer who pulled over an individual on the list for a traffic violation identify a person that "we might just want to question." (more at link)

here's another...

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0327-04.htm

FBI Keeps Watch on Activists: Antiwar, other groups are monitored to curb violence, not because of ideology, agency says.

DENVER — The FBI, while waging a highly publicized war against terrorism, has spent resources gathering information on antiwar and environmental protesters and on activists who feed vegetarian meals to the homeless, the agency's internal memos show.

For years, the FBI's definition of terrorism has included violence against property, such as the window-smashing during the 1999 Seattle protests against the World Trade Organization. That definition has led FBI investigations to online discussion boards, organizing meetings and demonstrations of a wide range of activist groups. Officials say that international terrorists pose the greatest threat to the nation but that they cannot ignore crimes committed by some activists.
...

"Any definition of terrorism that would include someone throwing a bottle or rock through a window during an antiwar demonstration is dangerously overbroad," ACLU staff attorney Ben Wizner said. "The FBI will have its hands full pursuing antiwar groups instead of truly dangerous organizations."

...

Denver, where the ACLU fought a lengthy court battle with local police over its spying on political groups, has the most extensive records of encounters between the FBI and activists. Documents obtained by the ACLU there revealed how agents monitored the lumber industry demonstration, an antiwar march and an anarchist group that activists say was never formed.

(teehee... "anarchist group... never formed...")

In June 2002, environmental activists protested the annual meeting of the North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. in Colorado Springs. An FBI memo justified opening an inquiry into the protest because an activist training camp was to be held on "nonviolent methods of forest defense … security culture, street theater and banner making."

hey! here's more!

Information on the Confidential Source in the Auburn Arrests

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/01/332735.shtml

Through several sources across the country, the friends of Eric McDavid, Zachary Jensen and Lauren Weiner - the three environmental activists arrested outside Sacramento on January 13th - have confirmed that the name of the FBI informant is "Anna." According to the FBI's own affidavit, "Anna" was involved in gathering information on 12 separate cases in the anarchist movement. Through discussion with activists across the country, "Anna's" presence or attempted involvement in various events has come to light. She ran as a street medic during the Bio-Democracy protests in Philadelphia last June and attended both the Crimethinc convergence in Indiana and the Feral Visions gathering outside Asheville.

It was also discovered that this informant made an attempt to get involved with the Pittsburgh Organizing Group and attended one or two of their meetings ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Boston. She told POG that she had been involved with the G8 Organizing Committee in Georgia as a direct action outreach coordinator. She wanted to get involved with organizing for the DNC in Boston, and was supposedly talking to various groups about merging "talents and our outreach, to put a little more bang in the DNC actions."

[nashville_brook]

24. my computer alerted me of "an intruder" while "googlging

the above info...

swear to god. that has NEVER happened before. i'm not on my usual totally unsecure connection, so i bet this has happened previously and i just didn't know it.

PLEASE note in the above post that the infiltraitor "Anna" was working Democratic organizational activities in addition to other, more radical gatherings.

[rucky]

38. The Clampdown is on.

and it's hitting pretty close to home.

I know several people who have attended Rainbow gatherings.

[KyndCulture]

5. Here's some more info that I have found in the last few days.

The DEA and FBI have hassled the Rainbow families for years... this year Homeland Security stuck their jackboots into the fray and this has the serious potential for violence and it worries me. There are 20,000 expected in Nederland, CO by Monday... as of right now there are roadblocks on all entrances to the National Forest and the gatherers are being denied entry and being detained for absolutely no other reason than they want to camp on public land that is there for friggin CAMPING in the first place.

There have been 3 incidents reported so far of rock throwing by the gatherers resulting in tear gas. With 10s of thousands more people showing up this could get volitile and quick.

They might be hippies but they know their first amendment rights. Well if a group needs to finally make a stand... let the hippies lead us all.

[shadowknows69]

19. Let it all begin then

I'm sick of waiting for it.

[nashville_brook]

27. i'm sick of waiting for "it" too...

but, check out the news on ELF and other enviro-activist sites
http://www.earthliberationfront.com/elf_news.htm
and think what would play most into the hands of the FBI... rock throwing ?? violence ?? or some other, more effective action.

my personal fave:
http://fuckforforest.com/

[shadowknows69]

28. Porn and environmentalism

this is now my favorite site (next to DU of course) B-)

[nashville_brook]

26. see my post above re: ROCK throwing

wow -- this story got my attention last night... today i'm hooked. this is bad.

[WhiteTara]

7. I attended a rainbow gathering in Arkansas

in 1973 and was almost killed when a bullet slammed into a tree 2 or 3 feet from my head. I have a picture of the event...about 1000 naked people standing in the river. One year we trekked supplies up a mountain in the dark to avoid the police and fundies. Some of the sweetest people and the most enduring tribe.

[KyndCulture]

10. I attended on in Florida in the early 90's

The Forestry service complimented tons of people for the care they took of the land and how polite and kind every was.

We left the land exactly how we found and it and there were no incidents.. I did see some cretins from the DEA wondering around hassling folks but all in all it was one of the most peaceful weeks of my life.

[CottonBear]

8. This is very disturbing and unconstitutional.

aiPeople are good people.
This is so alarming:
"The Bush Administration has spent millions of dollars trying to stop the Rainbow Gatherings."

Why are they doing this to the Rainbows? This is freaking Orwellian. :scared:

edit: Rainbow people and Baptists came together to help out on the Gulf Coast after Katrina and Rita. There was a great newspaper article about their unlikely partnership. The Rainbows were the perfect people to organize food service, tiolets, and hand washing/sanitation/drinking water safety since that is one of their main ways of making the gathering safe for people and environmentally correct and sound.

[KyndCulture]

9. They are doing it because the Families are peace activists

who have the power to gather HUNDREDS Of thousands of people by just asking for it.

It scares the PISS outta the thugs.

[CottonBear]

11. I used to have friend who was a Rainbow.

They are a peaceful bunch of folks. I suppose peaceniks are dangerous, dangerous people if you're a facist dictator like DimSon and his Junta.
:scared:

[KyndCulture]

13. It's just truly ridiculous. Somebody is gonna get hurt this weekend.

They are expecting 10's of thousands of people.. they might be peaceloving hippies but being denied their constitutional rights like that is bound to piss off a large group.

[WhiteTara]

14. just the sheer numbers of the Family

will terrify the helmeted, jackbooted, night stick wielding thugs called police into trying to hurt someone just to show they had a reason to be scared. I'm sending them all white light.

[CottonBear]

16. This whole situation was under my news radar.

BushCO is so busy violating our civil rights that it is hard to keep up with all of the persecution. :(

I'm sending good thoughts to the Rainbows. They're going to have to have a massive non-violent protest if the feds come down hard.

[acmejack]

15. Don's email address was redirected in 2002...

Check it out don hempery.com kind of interesting, I'm a procrastinator, but wow...

[anarch]

17. just because this really pisses me off,

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Is every ideal the U.S. was founded on just completely out the window now? Wait, don't answer that....

[libnnc]

18. A good friend of mine in high school was a Rainbow

and he's raising his kids in the tradition. A really sweet, sweet family. I'm from Western North Carolina originally and there was a Rainbow gathering there every year. I hope my friend and his wife and kids haven't been harassed. I know his wife would kick some major ass. She's a very outspoken leader in the Wiccan community and knows her rights as a mom and a citizen.

Good vibes to Sean, Ginger and their family wherever they are.

[whitedove]

21. We have got to do something, NOW!

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945

[formercia]

25. This might cheer you up.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1532722

[faithnotgreed]

29. kick

[KyndCulture]

30. *** UPDATE*** New article and NEW Incident. YIKES.

The hippies aren't taking this very well, I'm scared shitless we are about to see a Peacenik Waco this weekend.


Published on Thursday, June 29, 2006 by CommonDreams.org
Hippies Homeland Security Threat
Mass Citations At Rainbow Family Gathering in Colorado
A permit for a pilgrimage?
by Karen Kilroy and Alan Canfora


The Rainbow Family, an ad-hoc collective of free-spirited individuals, has made an annual spiritual pilgrimage since 1972 to various national forests. This year's Rainbow Family Gathering is outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and will be held from July 1-7. The National Forest Service has determined that a permit is required this year and is arresting people as they arrive. Hundreds of early arrivals have been arrested, ticketed, held in detention camps, tried in secret inside a cramped garage without proper representation, fined, and ordered to leave within 24 hours.

Over the past several days, a federal "National Incident Team" has been assembled to deny these individuals their constitutional right to assemble. The line between the power of the state and the federal government has been compromised, as Colorado State Patrol Troopers, county sheriffs, and local police have been brought into the National Incident Team.

Why is this the year in which a socially conscious group of people is being confronted? Why is the media being fed stories about fire potential, with no mention of the ongoing battle of the Bush Administration to try to shut down their right of free assembly?

--- snip

There has already been an incident (ABC News, Denver, Colorado) in which about 200 people encircled a police checkpoint, armed with sticks and rocks. The Forest Service drew their weapons, but retreated.


-----
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0629-34.htm

[KyndCulture]

31. Ok folks time to man the phones IMMEDIATELY!!!

Call your Senators and Reps and ask them to use any means they can to get Homeland Security to call off their jackbooted pigs before somebody DIES.

I just called Senator Dayton's office and made them aware of the dangerous situation developing and asked if there was ANYTHING at all the Senator could do to stop what Homeland Security is doing to please look into it.

This situation is getting down right fucking scary.

[CottonBear]

36. I called my GA senators (R) & my congressman (D).

I doubt my asshat senators give a damn about the Rainbows. They probably support imprisoning all of them.

[formercia]

37. I wonder if the people with sticks and rocks

work for Homeland Security too?


It wouldn't be the first time.

[NVMojo]

32. this is fucking ridiculous. wonder if the Bushasses are going after

the Burning Man event too??

http://www.burningman.com/

[anarch]

34. why not? What's to stop them?

after that, they can declare whole sections of major cities to be off-limits, you know, for "homeland security" reasons, and then start rounding up any inhabitants who refuse to leave their homes, throw 'em in camps...

"Where are your papers?"..."Your papers are not in order."

[icymist]

33. A practice excerise from Homeland Security!

<snip>
The 500 people with tickets are being herded into trials like none anyone has seen before in America. These pseudo trials are prototypes for what Homeland Security will use in the cases of insurrection or even a plague. Defendants lose the right to a public hearing (this year these hearings are being held behind closed doors in a firehouse garage near the site.

Attorneys and legal observers have been denied the right to even view these trials. The defendants are not explained their rights nor afforded the right to an attorney, the right to summon witnesses, the right to a jury trial, etc. Defendants ordered to appear each day at 9:00 a.m. and sit in the hot sun without water or sanitary facilities until their trials. Some have now been waiting for several days. These abbreviated trials only take a few minutes. Last year I tried to help a string of defendants defend themselves in these trials but felt helpless to do much as the system was clearly stacked against them.

[norml]

35. Lawsuit seeks to open Rainbow Family proceedings to public

Lawsuit seeks to open Rainbow Family proceedings to public


BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 29, 2006


DENVER — People flocking to a gathering of the Rainbow Family and who are now facing charges for camping without a permit and other charges are being tried in secret inside a cramped garage in a fire station parking lot, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of Adam Mayo, a Colorado attorney who said he was turned away from the trials near Steamboat Springs, and William Randell III of New York, who is facing a trial, asks the U.S. District Court to order U.S. Magistrate Judge David West to hold the trials in public.

"The Rainbow Family chose a remote location for their gathering, and the government wanted to provide a court facility that would not be inconvenient for them," said Jeff Dorschner, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney.

A judge, 17 defendants and prosecutors fit inside the garage, and there is standing room for the public and the media, according to the Rocky Mountain News.

Dorschner said the trials are open to the public, but extra seating and standing room areas are "first come" and "first served."


snip


http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20060629/NEWS/60629002