Donnelly Detention: the Libertariansphere strikes back

 Political prisoners  George Donnelly
 left) and Julian Heicklen, arrested
 during separate incidents.(photo
 courtesy George Donnelly)

News from the liberterrain…

"I motion to suspend the rules to have the delegation adopt the following resolution: The delegates of the 2010 National Libertarian Party Convention demand the immediate release of libertarian activists Julian Heicklen and George Donnelly. We further urge that the federal government cease harassing peaceful activists and respect the right of free speech." – Jay Edgar, from My National Convention Summary.

  Carlos Miller (Photo by Danny
  Hammontree)

When Jay Edgar of the New Jersey LP offered his resolution at the 2010 Libertarian Party National Convention in St. Louis on Sunday he was concerned that most delegates wouldn't know what he was talking about.

Instead, "I had to pause after the first sentence until the cheers and applause died down," Edgar wrote on the New Jersey LP website.

  David Ridley  Screenshot
  from YouTube video of  "NH:
  Ridley interviews Ridley (1 of 2)."

Edgar needn't have worried; the resolution passed overwhelmingly.

That's because the nationwide libertarian community has been following the news of Donnelly's plight on blogs and news sites and webcasts and the Libertarian News Examiner where it's been heavily covered.

  FR33 George  This graphic has appeared all over the
  libertariansphere. This one is from FR33 Agents with
  the caption: "Thanks to Benjamin Nichols of
  Freedom's Phoenix for the image."

While Julian Heicklen sits in a cell on Riker's Island in New York awaiting a hearing date the current focus of libertarian attention is directed towards George Donnelly, currently under house arrest for attempting to film federal agents in the act of intimidating peaceful jury rights advocates.

Other libertarians have publicized the outrages against Donnelly in a number of ways, from articles to videos to a Free George Donnelly downloadable handbill to graphics created for posting on websites to a peaceful public gathering in his support.

Cop culture  From the Free George Donnelly
handbill created by James Tuttle, free downloads
from multiple sites including Liberty Activism
Repository (pdf)
 

The "March, Rally and Demonstration: Photography and Pamphleting Are NOT Crimes" is set for Friday, June 4, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, at the site of his manhandling and arrest. All libertarians are being urged to participate.

Carlos Miller, a professional photographer turned ardent advocate of photographers' rights, launched his Photography is not a Crime blog after being arrested twice by Miami cops for filming on public property. Miller wrote a lengthy article about Donnelly and chronicled the conditions of his house arrest.

An even more detailed account appears in Libertapedia, the libertarian encyclopedia.

Dave Ridley, Free Stater, professional videographer, creator of the Ridley Report ("Don't get mad. Get video") and recipient of New Hampshire Magazine's Editor's Pick for "Best Subversive Journalist" of 2008, posted a video feature of Donnelly on his RidleyReport's YouTube Channel on Saturday.

The drumbeat of support for Donnelly continues.

George Donnelly Legal Defense Fund
 

Jailed FIJA videographer teaches via "heroic errors" (Ridley Report / YouTube video)
 

 Signs of Freedom Free to post
 on websites, blogs, Facebook
 pages, everywhere, from the
 Libertarian News Examiner)

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