NH: Homeland Security nabs Free Stater from home

[DadaOrwell]

Homeland Security nabs Free Stater from home
Leafleting campaign triggers forced court appearance

From NHfree.com
Keene, New Hampshire
July 31, 7:00 p.m.

For the third time in the last four days, Keene resident Russell Kanning finds himself in Federal custody. The 36-year-old libertarian activist isn't in trouble for selling drugs, threatening officials or endangering anyone. Instead, he's the target of Federal wrath because he attempted to enter the Keene IRS office with…a piece of paper.

Last Thursday, after announcing his intensions publicly, Kanning appeared in front of Keene's IRS branch wearing overalls and a straw hat, clutching a pitchfork in one hand and a leaflet in the other. His intent was to enter the IRS office - sans pitchfork - and hand the leaflet to any government employees working there.

"I want them to quit their jobs," he said, referring to the one or two IRS agents who staff this part-time office on Keene's Main Street. His flyers contain a form which he is asking IRS agents to sign, pledging they will stop working for the agency because of what he considers the evil things it funds.

But Homeland Security agents, as well as some from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stood ready to defend this tiny office from the dangerous flyer. They told Kanning if he attempted to enter the office (situated above Keene's main postal facility) they would arrest him. Kanning chatted with them briefly, then informed them he would not be able to comply with their orders and slowly moved forward toward the IRS section of the building. Agents then gently cuffed him, transported him to Keene Police Department and released him.

Kanning then immediately went back to the IRS office, got arrested again, released again, and vowed to return for a third visit at noon on August 3. He also declined to appear in court.

So on Monday, July 31 around 10:30 a.m., Federal agent seized him again, this time inside his home, this time not so gently.

"They just came in and threw Russell to the ground and took him," says Kanning’s wife Kat Dillon in a hastily composed web forum message on NHfree.com.

Dillon says Kanning was transported to the Federal Building in Concord and forced to appear in court at around 2 p.m. But she says other than the initial roughhousing on the living room floor, agents have been fairly polite so far

"The guy who was in charge on Thursday came by...apparently just to chat with me," she writes from a friend's computer near the courthouse. "He wanted to convince me that they weren't the bad guys."

However Dillon says she is angry that her husband could be arrested simply for trying to hand a leaflet to a public official on public property.

"In case it isn't clear," she writes, "the issue is that the federal government has gone bad...It's imperitive that good people refuse to cooperate with it."

Kanning is a member of the Free State Project (www.FreeStateProject.org), a nationwide movement aimed at recruiting libertarians to move to New Hampshire.

Events have moved forward very fast since this news release was composed. You can read the latest details on the NHfree.com forum at

http://forum.soulawakenings.com/index.php?topic=4640.0

Copies of the Dangerous Leaflet are at

http://www.republicofnh.org/brochure.pdf

Photographs of today's arrest:
http://forum.soulawakenings.com/index.php?topic=4640.0

Photographs of the July 27 arrest:
http://www.soulawakenings.com/underground/tikiwiki/tiki-browse_gallery.php?galleryId=74

Permission is granted to publish them at will.

 

[jallman]

If there's nothing missing from this story, it's infuriating. It's infuriating that we stand idley by as we allow the government to do whatever it deems neccisary to sustain the current power structure.

Actually, I see nothing wrong with what has happened. He was making a demonstration, which is fine out on the street. But to enter the building and disrupt daily operations and/or harass public employees with taking his pamphlet into their work place is just plain wrong. Even if they work for the "evil establishment", these people have the right to work peacefully. He was given ample warning not to go into the building with his stated intentions. Though I think his principles may be admirable, I dont have much sympathy because of his methods.

 

[Vader]

Actually, I see nothing wrong with what has happened. He was making a demonstration, which is fine out on the street. But to enter the building and disrupt daily operations and/or harass public employees with taking his pamphlet into their work place is just plain wrong. Even if they work for the "evil establishment", these people have the right to work peacefully. He was given ample warning not to go into the building with his stated intentions. Though I think his principles may be admirable, I dont have much sympathy because of his methods.

The arrests sound like they were made within the law; however, I did not hear anything that pointed out that the feds had obtained an arrest warrant. As such, at least until I have proof their was a warrant issued, I have to side with Galen on this one. The feds do not have the right to arrest without a warrant or sufficient probable cause. In this case, it appears they lacked both.

Maybe it's time to start punshing federal officers who act like the Nazi (circa 1933) before things get further out of hand.

 

[jallman]

The arrests sound like they were made within the law; however, I did not hear anything that pointed out that the feds had obtained an arrest warrant. As such, at least until I have proof their was a warrant issued, I have to side with Galen on this one. The feds do not have the right to arrest without a warrant or sufficient probable cause. In this case, it appears they lacked both.

Maybe it's time to start punshing federal officers who act like the Nazi (circa 1933) before things get further out of hand.

No argument here. The arrests made at the building didnt need a warrant because they were basically stopping a public nuisance. However, in going into the gentleman's home and arresting him, there should definitely be a warrant. One thing I do take exception to is the fact that the feds were involved in what appears to be a simple public disturbance issue. One does have to wonder why such an extreme use of resources on such a minor problem.