Some of you may have heard about the rave that took place on August 22 in Utah. The one that got broken up by law enforcement and the national guard. PrisonPlanet seems to have the best copy of the only video that’s surfaced. Apparently there were plenty of cameras present, but so far this is the only that’s surfaced. Many of the others were confiscated as part of the police action that took place. They may eventually become available through FOIA requests and court proceedings. TalkLeft has some information on the ongoing legal actions on part of the event organizers. According to the articles, this is not the first time the person who owned the land has had police intervene in events held there. There is an ongoing legal suit against the police for a previous raid on the land.
The real shame about scenarios such as this (and actions taken during countless protests in this country going back years and years) is that the general story is one that does not fit in with the founding charter of this nation. The police take action, effectively shutting down the peoples’ right to peaceful assembly, and are seldom brought to bear for it. Even if they are charged and convicted for the violations, it does not make whole those who have had their rights trampled. Once the events and protests are over, there’s no going back, and the damage is done. Sooner or later, as happened back in the 1960s and 1970s, such gatherings, when persecuted, will refuse to go quietly only to have nothing done about the violations, and will instead resist. Violence is the result, and it’s not pretty.
The ongoing push and pull between the rights of the people and the agents of the people who have effectively alienated their interests from those they supposedly serve must be dissolved. The agents must be removed from their positions and replaced with individuals and organizations that in fact serve the interests that give them reason to exist.