Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Your Money Well Spent

My friend Sean sent this along and I think you should read it.
The following was taken from the discussion and was posted by someone named Rodan...
( Here's the whole discussion and some video. )

Before coming to the event I researched it extensively. The party was %100 percent legal and legit with all permits and necessary security required by law being acquired. The event was well organized, with garbage cans, porta potties, and rope lines blocking off parts of the area that you could no go into.

Now I want you to know that many people out there consider ravers a bunch of drug taking freaks. I also want you to know that that is a stereotype that is passed down through legions of undereducated parents, politicians, and media. There are many of us who are drug free party goers who attend these events for a pure love of the music.


So on to my point. At around 11:00 I was enjoying the good vibes and great music. Then at about 11:30 pm a helicopter began circling the party. Out of nowhere huge semis filled with what appeared to be national guard (we later learned it was swat), swat, and the police rolled up. Soldiers came out of the bushes and rushed down to the party. Carrying M-16s, Ak-47s, nightsticks, and tazers. They proceeded to attack random people and push their might around on people who had done nothing wrong.

I saw about 7 people attacked (before being forced to leave). I saw two of them right in front of me. One was a guy who was walking around with a camcorder stunned at what was happening. A soldier told him to give him the camera now. The raver said no it is my camera. The soldier then proceeded to grab the camera, throw it to the ground and then began beating the kid. In the end they threw him to the ground violently an put their knee into his back while handcuffing him. All for wanting to keep his property. When I last saw him he was knocked out and unmoving.

Another girl next to me said to one of the soldiers that she didn't know how to get home as they had just arrested her friend. The soldier told her to walk home. My friend tried to grab her to bring her with us, but the soldier began yelling that she had touched him (which she hadn't). WIthin seconds, five soldiers had jumped on her and were literally beating the crap out of this innocent women. She was punched in the face, thrown to the ground, and kicked while down. All for worrying how to get home safely. She is now suing.

The soldiers proceeded to attack anyone with cameras or camcorders, obviously wanting to restrict the film that got out about it. This was not a legal attack, it was a blatant violation on our rights as American citizens. And the swat, police, and politicians who authorized this, knew this. That is why they were removing potential evidence.

We were treated as terrorists, innocent kids without weapons or even violent thoughts in their minds were manhandled, treated like terrorists, and forced to stop doing what we were by constitutional rights allowed to be doing. Our rights were completely removed from us. It was if we had visited the 1960s or communist China.


Some Commentary from Sean (who was not at the party in question):

ya know, I have seen the video a couple of times now and read many of the stories told by some of the kids on the site. It really is unreal, and very surreal. Like something out of a bad movie or video game. I mean ski masks and assault weapons pointed at the heads of ravers?? Dogs, and helicopters and soldiers in camo? They had a permit. And even if they didn't is this where we want to spend our money? This is fighting terrorism? Hell, it's not even a smart way to fight drugs, assuming that is what they are trying to do. Confiscate camera's, video cameras and camera phones? If they felt good about what they were doing and that is was for the safety of their community why would pictures be a problem? I don't know why this has got me so fired up but I guess it is because I have been to things like this and they are a great and harmless time. A culture that loves- among other things- war, violent music, video games, TV, Porn, etc... has a problem with a bunch of freaks dancing to dance music in the woods? They ought see what happens in those cheesy legit college night clubs in any big city. Or frat parties for that matter...

True dat, son.


(Updated to clarify authorship)