US Authorities Seize IMC Servers in UK
UK imcista | 07.10.2004 20:43 | FBI Server Seizure | Indymedia | Oxford | World
UPDATE 14th Oct:
Hard drives returned
The two servers recently seized by US Authorities were returned yesterday morning to Rackspace (the hosting service where the servers were first taken from). Indymedia is now weighing additional legal options after this illegal seizure of its servers. Many of the original questions still remain.
Sign the Global Support Declaration
UPDATE 13th Oct: Indymedia UK Call for Solidarity
Indymedia Press Release: 11/12th Oct
Reporters Without Borders Solidarity Statement: "Home Secretary David Blunkett challenged over Indymedia website closures"
Association for Progressive Communications Statement: "APC condemns "arbitrary" seizure of IndyMedia web servers by US and European law enforcers."
Further links to mainstream media coverage can be found at the bottom of this feature. Correspondence between an indymedia activist and Rackspace, and lists of sites that are and are not back on line, can be found on this blog.
It is ironic that that this happens now, just days before Indymedia is due to participate in the European Forum on Communications Rights being held alongside the European Social Forum and several other days of discussions about electronic civil liberties and community media. For more information on these events see www.efcr2004.net
[ Original Press Release | Global Indymedia article and comments | IMC FBI pages]
fbi seizes imc servers
UPDATE 9th Oct: Statewatch Statement on Server Seizures and MLAT
"Why did the Home Office agree? What grounds did the USA give for the seizure of the servers? Were these grounds of a "political" nature? Has the Home Office requested that the servers be returned? What does this action say about freedom of expression and freedom of the press?"
UPDATE 8th Oct: Latest Indymedia Statement
"Indymedia condemns the fact that even 24 hours after two entire servers were taken down, Indymedia is still not getting any information of the reasons for the order. By taking down 2 servers more than 20 Indymedia sites were affected in different countries globally as well as several unrelated projects. Indymedia considers this extremely invasive operation a a serious threat to the Freedom of Speech worldwide. Indymedia insists that the servers are returned"
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Statement (8th Oct)
"We have witnessed an intolerable and intrusive international police operation against a network specialising in independent journalism," said Aidan White IFJ General Secretary. "The way this has been done smacks more of intimidation of legitimate journalistic inquiry than crime-busting."
International Freedom of Expression eXchange: AMARC Alert (8th Oct)
See also 2002 Indymedia Support Letter signed by MPs and others.
UPDATE 8th Oct: Rackspace have issued a statement:
"In the present matter regarding Indymedia, Rackspace Managed Hosting, a U.S. based company with offices in London, is acting in compliance with a court order pursuant to a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), which establishes procedures for countries to assist each other in investigations such as international terrorism, kidnapping and money laundering. Rackspace responded to a Commissioner’s subpoena, duly issued under Title 28, United States Code, Section 1782 in an investigation that did not arise in the United States. Rackspace is acting as a good corporate citizen and is cooperating with international law enforcement authorities. The court prohibits Rackspace from commenting further on this matter."
Original Post
On Thursday morning, US authorities issued a federal order to Rackspace ordering them to hand over Indymedia web servers to the requesting agency. Rackspace, which provides hosting services for more that 20 Indymedia sites at its London facility, complied and turned over the requested servers, effectively removing those sites from the internet.
Since the subpoena was issued to Rackspace and not to Indymedia, the reasons for this action are still unknown to Indymedia. Talking to Indymedia volunteers, Rackspace stated that "they cannot provide Indymedia with any information regarding the order." ISPs have received gag orders in similar situations which prevent them from updating the concerned parties on what is happening.
It is unclear to Indymedia how and why a server that is outside the US jurisdiction can be seized by US authorities.
At the same time an additional server was taken down at Rackspace which provided streaming radio to several radio stations including one covering the European Social Forum in London, BLAG (linux distro), and a handful of miscellanous things.
The list of affected local media collectives includes Ambazonia, Uruguay, Andorra, Poland, Western Massachusetts, Nice, Nantes, Lilles, Marseille (all France), Euskal Herria (Basque Country), Liege, East and West Vlaanderen, Antwerpen (all Belgium), Belgrade, Portugal, Prague, Galiza, Italy, Brazil, UK, part of the Germany site, and the global Indymedia Radio site.
The last few months have seen numerous attacks on independent media by the US Federal Government. In August the Secret Service used a subpoena in an attempt to disrupt the NYC IMC before the RNC by trying to get IP logs from an ISP in the US and the Netherlands. Last month the FCC shut down community radio stations around the US. Two weeks ago the FBI requested that Indymedia takes down a post on the Nantes IMC that had a photo of some undercover Swiss police and IMC volunteers in Seattle were visited by the FBI on the same issue. On the other hand, Indymedia and other independent media organisations were successfull with their victories for example against Diebold and the Patroit Act. Today however, the US authorities shut down IMCs around the world.
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UK imcista
Comments
Hide the following 51 comments
Attack on free speach!
07.10.2004 22:58
We still do not have confirmation of who the drives were handed to or confirmation as to the reasons why.
infos
more
07.10.2004 23:18
FBI seizes Global Indymedia Servers. Reasons Unknown. Background Info: Current rating: 0
by Sascha Meinrath
Email: sascha (nospam) ucimc.org (unverified!) 07 Oct 2004
Modified: 03:56:13 PM
FBI took the hard drives of Global IMC servers in the USA and the UK. It appears that a court order was issued to Rackspace (Indymedia's service provider with offices in the US and in London) to physically remove the hard drives from Global Indymedia servers (backup servers are now in place). Rackspace was given no time to defend against the order before it was acted upon and turned over the hard drives, both in the US and the UK. The servers hosted numerous local IMCs and the reason for the seizure is not known.
The FBI's latest anti-free-press actions began at the beginning of October when they visited Indymedia's ISP demanding the removal of identifying information from photographs of undercover police officers that was posted on the Nantes Indymedia website. When asked what the US government was doing requesting the removal of information from a French-run website that contained information about Swiss police actions, the FBI stated that this was a "courtesy" to the Swiss government. The FBI agents stated that no laws had been broken, and no crimes had been committed. However, because no identifying information was posted on the website in question, it was unclear what actions the FBI was requesting.
FBI took the hard drives of Global IMC servers in the USA and the UK. It appears that a court order was issued to Rackspace (Indymedia's service provider with offices in the US and in London) to physically remove the hard drives from Global Indymedia servers (backup servers are now in place). Rackspace was given no time to defend against the order before it was acted upon and turned over the hard drives, both in the US and the UK. The servers hosted numerous local IMCs and the reason for the seizure is not known.
The FBI's latest anti-free-press actions began at the beginning of October when they visited Indymedia's ISP demanding the removal of identifying information from photographs of undercover police officers that was posted on the Nantes Indymedia website. When asked what the US government was doing requesting the removal of information from a French-run website that contained information about Swiss police actions, the FBI stated that this was a "courtesy" to the Swiss government. The FBI agents stated that no laws had been broken, and no crimes had been committed. However, because no identifying information was posted on the website in question, it was unclear what actions the FBI was requesting.
The article in question is/was posted here:
On Tuesday October 5th, Indymedia received the following message from Rackspace:
"I apologize for the delay in responding. I have been trying to get a hold of the FBI agent I spoke with before, but haven't been able to at this time. As the request originated with the Swiss police, I can only speculate on what they saw or what they were concerned about. However, at this time, I have received no further communications from either the FBI or the Swiss authorities, so I feel like we can close this this issue."
Today the FBI seized Global Indymedia servers; however it is unclear if this is related to the Nantes issue or is a second FBI concern within the past week.
(14:20) Rackspace has issued a "no comment" response concerning the FBI's actions.
(15:25) New list of IMCs affected: ambazonia, uruguay, andorra, pl, wester mass, radio, uk, antwerpen, nice, nantes, lille, euskalherria, liege, oost-vlaanderen, belgrade, west-vlaanderen, portugal, prague, marseille, galiza, basque, germany media, italy, and brasil.
(16:10) Rackspace has issued the following comments:
I have been in contact with the regional director responsible for the federal order. He has stated that I can not provide any information regarding the order. I am going to follow up with our law enforcement liason to verify this, however.
Regards,
Jennifer O'Connell
Rackspace AUP
***
Unfortunately, we have received a federal order to provide your hardware to the requesting agency. We are complying at this time. Our datacenter technicians are building you a new server which will be online as soon as possible. Your account manager will notify you once the new server is online and available.
I apologize for abruptness of this. However, we are required to comply with all federal orders of this nature.
Please let us know if there is anything that we can do to make this easier on you.
Regards,
Jennifer O'Connell
AUP Administrator
Rackspace Managed Hosting
***
(16:45) The story has hit slashdot:
(16:55) Original photos are now available here:
Related stories on this site:
indy vs fbi
more
can't keep us down!
07.10.2004 23:40
Quickly the situation was established and the DNS information (which says what computer is refered to by an internet address) was updated to point at the backup UK server. At the same time, another new radio server was located in the US and rampART radio popped back up with it's new address (see www.rampartradio.co.nr)
All this goes to prove that Indymedia is decentralised enough (but not perfectly) to survive an attack and that as a cooperative international network, we rock!
indyboy
Indymedia italy Press Release
08.10.2004 00:07
7 October 2004
FBI Seizes IMC Servers in the UK
US authorities issued a federal order to Rackspace's office in the US ordering them to provide Indymedia's hardware located in London to the requesting agency. Rackspace is one of Indymedia's web hosting providers with offices in the US and London. Rackspace complied, without first notifying Indymedia, and turned over Indymedia's server in the UK. This affects some 20+ Indymedia sites worldwide.
Since the subpoena was issued to Rackspace and not to Indymedia, the reasons for this action are still unknown to Indymedia. Talking to Indymedia volunteers, Rackspace stated that "they cannot provide Indymedia with any information regarding the order." ISPs have received gag orders in similar situations which prevent them from updating the concerned parties on what is happening.
It is unclear to Indymedia how and why a server that is outside the US jurisdiction can be seized by US authorities.
At the same time a second server was taken down at Rackspace which provided streaming radio to several radio stations, BLAG (linux distro), and a handful of miscellanous things.
The last few months have seen numerous attacks on independent media by the US Federal Government. In August the Secret Service used a subpoena in an attempt to disrupt the NYC IMC before the RNC by trying to get IP logs from an ISP in the US and the Netherlands. Last month the FCC shut down community radio stations around the US. Two weeks ago the FBI requested that Indymedia takes down a post on the Nantes IMC that had a photo of some undercover Swiss police and IMC volunteers in Seattle were visited by the FBI on the same issue. On the other hand, Indymedia and other independent media organisations were successfull with their victories for example against Diebold and the Patroit Act. Today however, the US authorities shut down IMCs around the world.
The list of affected local media collectives includes Ambazonia, Uruguay, Andorra, Poland, Western Massachusetts, Nice, Nantes, Lilles, Marseille (all France), Euskal Herria (Basque Country), Liege, East and West Vlaanderen, Antwerpen (all Belgium), Belgrade, Portugal, Prague, Galiza, Italy, Brazil, UK, part of the Germany site, and the global Indymedia Radio site.
fwd
Homepage:
http://www.indymedia.it/press_release_en.html
Ironic Timing
08.10.2004 01:26
imcista
Nantes IMC Article In Question Recovered
08.10.2004 02:46
The photos allegedly in question are (allegedly) posted here:
In Google's cache, the four photos in question were named doc-1636.jpg, doc-1637.jpg, doc-1638.jpg, and doc-1639.jpg. The photos on this site are numbered differently, however, a comment at the bottom of the original article in Google's cache states that the Nantes IMC blanked out the eyes (or faces) of the two undercover cops in question following a request by the FBI to do so. Pathetic. The photos in this link do not have the faces blacked-out, and are numbered doc-1594.jpg through doc-1597.jpg, so these are probably the photos from the original posting of the Nantes IMC web page in question, before the identities of the undercovers was hidden.
Someone please post these pictures all over Switzerland. Thanks.
@
Homepage:
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/mtoups/nantes/copsinnantes.htm
intimidation
08.10.2004 09:38
- -
Logging
08.10.2004 12:15
oiyoi
A smokescreen?
08.10.2004 12:25
I cannot believe that there would be some much fuss over a few innocuous pictures!
What are they really trying to hide?
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...............
That bush is an incompetent t**t........... nah
silent Bob
UK Legal assistance?
08.10.2004 16:09
of them might be able to get an injunction from the UK courts barring Rackspace from complying with the US order?
Another thing is, don't you have elections coming up? It seems to me that a good political angle against Blair and his party is that this action makes it clear that, for all intents and purposes, he has made the United Kingdom into the 51st State in the US.
steward
3 and a half weeks
08.10.2004 16:14
- -
Official statement from RackSpace
08.10.2004 18:54
I emailed Annalie Drusch (
-----
In the present matter regarding Indymedia, Rackspace Managed Hosting, a U.S. based company with offices in London, is acting in compliance with a court order pursuant to a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), which establishes procedures for countries to assist each other in investigations such as international terrorism, kidnapping and money laundering. Rackspace responded to a Commissioner’s subpoena, duly issued under Title 28, United States Code, Section 1782 in an investigation that did not arise in the United States. Rackspace is acting as a good corporate citizen and is cooperating with international law enforcement authorities. The court prohibits Rackspace from commenting further on this matter.
For additional information on the MLAT, please visit
------
From this you'll notice that Rackspace Hosting Limited, the uk registred company indeed complied to an US court order!
The MLAT mentionned in the statement is just a mutual assistance treaty. Basically it designs point of contact in each country (US Dept of Justice for USA) andformalise help. That means that the FBI should have contacted the Dept of justice to issue a request to the UK judicial authority who would have delivered the UK investigation requested.
In no case would an US court order be valid in UK.
Can any legal representative post comment on the following-up they intend to give to this unacceptable attack on freedom of the press.
Is there any plan to coordinate the legal effort of foreign affiliates (France, Belgium, ...)?
My email is posted, don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of any help.
Stephane Mabille
e-mail:
Stephane.Mabille@samf.demon.co.uk
This sucks
08.10.2004 20:41
I think Rackspace probably broke UK and EU law. Those disks contain personal information about EU citizens, and they are now in the hands of - I assume - the FBI, as well as the madmen who lead the US Government.
I'm pretty sure that this wasn't anything to do with the Nantes photos - supposedly those pictures were pulled over a week ago; and anyway, I don't think the yanks would do something like this as a favour to some crummy little European country. There's a theory that it's a cock-up - that the feds are too incompetent to know what they should be grabbing. I don't think that's what happened, either. It's also been suggested that it's revenge for negative coverage of the Diebold voting machines, which are highly susceptible to election fraud; or for Indymedia involvement in the RNC protests (or both); that's possible, I suppose - but the timing is odd.
But I think it's specifically to do with the ESF next week. I think this was a badly-bungled pre-emptive strike. I think the US government are scared of ESF, especially the non-hierarchical fringe, and they don't want it covered. Of course stealing our disks won't prevent it getting covered (which is why I say they bungled); and it's pretty hilarious that we were up and running on a backup server within four hours.
I would like to see Rackspace sued, or at least publicly humiliated. And I want everyone to know that Rackspace will roll over for the feds, and hand over disks that are outside the feds' jurisdiction, just because the feds asked nicely. Who's going to get their hosting from a company that gives up that easily?
That Sucks.
Mr. Demeanour
How much clout does IMC have ?
08.10.2004 20:50
I would have thought that UK IMC would be able to muster some support from all the various groups and individuals who use the service. getting some bod's out onto the streets should be a top priority hopefully in their thousands. Then there are all the different media possibilities I for one would be up for lending a hand
and if we all have a bash at it for a week the story will definitely get into the mainstream press and TV channels.
Some Greenpeace style stunts and a few well thought out media pranks perhaps bit of subverting if it all went off at once.......... Media intifada !!
Bill Stickers
More details on the FBI's theft of the IMC news server
08.10.2004 21:35
Cryptome.org ongoing investigation of the theft of IMC's news server:
@
IP addresses
08.10.2004 22:47
"What about ip's, not all of us have dynamic ip's and are traceable by static ip addresses which provide hostnames on demand, also it doesnt matter if hostnames arent stored on any hard drive, if they are processed then there will be a shadow nomatter how much you scub. People should not post from home if they fall within any of these concerns, use an internet cafe instead. Rest assured profiling all imc hard drive information has now been fed into the FBI's 'dictionary'."
No, that's all completely untrue. There are no IP address logs anywhere on this IMC server. There are no logged hostnames, or IP addresses, or "shadows" (whatever that means), and nothing needs to be "scrubbed".
The FBI (if it's them) must already know this, if they've done the most basic research before deciding to steal our server. So it's hard to imagine they went to all this trouble looking for IP addresses, but if so they will be badly disappointed.
IMC volunteer
Italy and Switzerland Requested Indymedia's Server Seizure
09.10.2004 00:38
According to Italian news agency reports and an AFP interview with FBI spokesperson Joe Parris, the FBI acted complying to Italian and Swiss requests. "It is not an FBI operation," Joe Parris told AFP. "Through a legal assistance treaty , the subpoena was on behalf of a third country."
i
pre-shutdown statement from Nantes (translated from the French)
09.10.2004 02:31
Re-posted at
Will the FBI put pressure on Indymedia Nantes?
Nantes, 29 September 2004, 12:01
A little like a Hollywood film or the X-Files TV series, the Indymedia Nantes collective has trouble with . . . the FBI. This makes you laugh? To tell the truth, it makes us laugh, finally not for a long time, it doesn't seem to be bullshit. This story permits us to understand how a simple contribution posted on the Internet permitted the authorities to resort to censorship and to understand the dangers of the laws that humiliate our elementary liberties, such as the LEN [Loi Economie Numerique] or the Patriot Act. In the following text, you will find all the details of this story, as well as the problems that it raises.
Short reminder of the facts (in trying to be clear and concise)
On 8 September [2004] we received a contribution entitled "Photos of 2 cops of the anti-G8 cell." At the time, one had already posed the question of the interest of such a contribution, but, seeing that this wasn't beyond fundamental principles, it was valid. Meanwhile, this contribution questioned us. If it is real, doesn't it involve the same practices of the police? If the author of the contribution deceives him or herself, who are the people depicted? This contribution provoked a debate at the heart of the collective, but meanwhile remained on the site. It was a question of taking into account the hyper-repressive context in Switzerland since the G8, where a certain number of liberties are humiliated and police Internet sites overflow with photos of activists with appeals to becoming a paid informant, and where prison sentences come easily, not to mention the practices in which the police disguise themselves as rioters. Thus, we decided to leave the contribution as it was.
And thus began an international police imbroglio. . . .
On 22 September [2004], by mail (in English), we learned that, according to Rackspace (the Great Britain-based providers of Internet access for the machine that hosted Indymedia Nantes), no less than the FBI had demanded that the contribution in question be taken down. This provider is Anglo-American, which somewhat explains the demand. Nevertheless, we were surprised that the FBI, an American agency, made its demand to an English ISP [Internet service provider], that a French Internet site should take down a contribution concerning the Swiss police. Without doubt, this is globalization! Thus, the provider sent us a letter demanding that we immediately take down this article.
This posed many questions:
-- Was this all a joke? Until then, we weren't certain, though it seemed plausible. We awaited the response to our letter (in English) from Rackspace.
-- What to do? First of all, we decided to provisionally hide the article on the 24th [of September], and, in addition, to mask the faces of these individuals out of respect for their "private lives." Moreover, we couldn't permit ourselves to stand up to the ISP, because, if it closed down the connection, dozens of Indymedia sites would find themselves arbitrarily closed down.
-- We have no sign that any kind of judicial action has been started. This poses the question of the privatization of justice, which thus gives a censorship role to private firms. This is the reign of the arbitrary, where we can neither defend nor speak for ourselves. As a result, we must accede to these demands.
-- This strikes us as strange, but it also refers us to the control of the Internet by both police and private authorities.
In France, it is the LEN that renders the ISPs directly responsible for the content of the sites that they host, and that makes them play a preventive role. If they do not, they can be convicted. The demands to provide logs of IP addresses can be made without judicial decisions . . . etc . . . . Note this article from Paris [translator: no link provided in re-posted version], which has also been confronted by police pressures.
PS: the archives of the discussion list of the Nantes Indymedia collective are publically consultable and you can find all of our exchanges on the subject of this Abracadabra-esque story (this is what we call amongst otherselves "radical transparency").
NB!
The unasked question
09.10.2004 11:02
Also, the gagging provisions relating to this sort of action are usually meant to stop people knowing they're being investigated - not really possible if you steal thei servers! Since it's in the public domain that the servers were confiscated on a court order there is no reason to keep secret which court/agency. Details of why might still be secret if they'd give away what they'rte trying to fit you up for but which court should be told - once you lknow it's happening you should be able to at least argue against it. (SAorry, i get these weird moods sometimes where I think you should have asome legal rights even if you disagree with the state - don't worry, they pass quickly enough)
-
Swiss are bigger players than one might think
09.10.2004 12:48
I drive through there at least twice a month and being rather intersted in the NWO (are they so New)
and their symbols I find switzerland very interesting .
Well for a start it's not in the EU and it may not be big geographically speaking but it's very important when it comes to serious money laundering, the banca di San Gottardo comes to mind and well there are so many dodgy banks in the country . I usually pass through Basle or Basel, which probably has the biggest chemical industries in Europe they are all there.
Until very recently there were no practically no controls on the border with Germany yoiu just slowed down and got the nod, but now things have tightened up considerably , probably looking for illegal immigrants but sometimes I wonder. I also wonder why hitlers panzers didn't just roll across the border in 1939 but then i guess you would have to ask Mr Red Shield about that . all in all I would never call Switzerland a crummy little Euro country unless you want to include Holland(william of orange an all) in the same category of course and there are very many similarities .. they are running tings ...
Pyramid choclate makers
On a positive note.
09.10.2004 13:16
Doug
To "Pyramid choclate makers"
09.10.2004 14:34
Just to give some perspective here's how the White House views Germany, France and Belgium:
So sounds like MrD was really just ironically commenting on how the White House is likely to view Switzerland, and not dissing Switzerland himself.
not MrDemeanour
Write to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
10.10.2004 00:10
to submit comments, leads, tips and other information on the FBI theft of Indymedia's news servers.
Solidarity
Homepage:
http://www.rcfp.org/behindthehomefront/
Nazification by the New World Order
10.10.2004 00:16
Hardly surprising
Consider your own position
dh
More Clues Point To Italy's Role In UK IMC Shutdown
10.10.2004 23:42
A (poor) translation into English of the above article:
@
Homepage:
http://216.239.39.104/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&langpair=it%7Cen&u=http://punto-informatico.it/p.asp%3Fi%3D49959&prev=/language_tools
Corporate Media Notices IMC Under Attack
11.10.2004 01:40
The AP may have (finally) picked up this story. Here is a report from WOAI in San Antonio:
A little coverage now in USA Today:
Here is a more recent article from AFP:
Server theft is on the radar of the WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW:
And of course, some coverage in the UK Guardian:
@
What is to be done?>
11.10.2004 08:32
Lee
news
11.10.2004 09:55
fatface
BBC website has woken up
11.10.2004 11:06
Aim Here
In the UK (centre-left) mainstream too...
11.10.2004 11:17
Lee
I've written to my MP on this, I think you should do the same...
11.10.2004 11:22
You may have all already started doing that - I haven't had time to read through all your comments, but if you haven't already, I think you should get writing too. My letter can be found here:
I would encourage all of you to write your own letters and start getting them to your MPs. I also intend writing to a couple of news outlets and asking them to put pressure onto the Home Office to come up with some stories. With enough pressure we might all:
a) Get some answers
b) Ensure this can't happen again
c) As a fall-out get it pushed into the mainstream news cycle
I hope you all get stuck in and perhaps we can find some answers to the questions posed by this pretty awful stomping of due process.
Paul Robinson
e-mail:
paul@iconoplex.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.iconoplex.co.uk/
Home office comments, or not
11.10.2004 15:01
(0207) 2734086 he was at pains "not to confirm or deny" that the seizure took place under the Mutual legal assistance treaty, even though I pointed out that rackspace have already told us that.
I was interested to know what definition of "political" they use when considering requests of this type. He admitted that it was "hard to define" and that it's really a "common sense thing" he then got very jumpy when i asked if i could quote him on that, and said that if I was a journalist then I had to speak to the press office.
I explained that i was not a 'professional' journalist, but by this point i think he felt he had said enough so I thanked him for his time and hung up.
anon
Don't you recall...The British Government signed an agreement with the US...
11.10.2004 15:10
I aggree that the primary object (of the raids) is to contain freedom, free speech, free consciousness, the networking of international protests especially the big anti capitalist/anti world bank/anti Gobal elite (i.e in effect (and I know many people/groups/cliques, including many in the protest scene here in (KEYPOINT) blighty, including many in earth first, reject this conclusion erroniously and often collaboratively as it goes) the ritual racvist child abuse white supremists pervert 'order')... protests.
You (we) are too effective Indimedia! At least you know that you must be doing the right thing is you have the filth on ya case. Which makes me wonder why they arn't on mine now? Thye filth used to waste huge amounts of money making twice daily 'survaylance', i.e. harrasment, helecopter flights over my place in remote north wales, which they've stopped doing now. Twice every day from where I live up on a hill I'd see them first fly over Talwrn, where a group of eco direct action activists were based, and then over to mine. They must just think I'm some sort of hippy joker. Not to be taken seriously. But we know better.
See you in hell filth.
FOR REAL.
By the way, respect for getting it all up again, on line, so quickly fellows, and greetings to everyone at the gathering inn London....PLEASE take the time to check out this AMAZING group of tribal traditionalists who are resisting US gencide and trashing of the tribal temple (oh religion again!) at Black Mesa, USA...
www.blackmesais.org
I was given a REAL (not some hippy theft/blag/plastic shit) sundance eagle feather by one Daniel Zapata, a long time campaign with these people, during a protest to save common land from 'development' in North Wales... Eithinog (it means flower meadow). OM. He said it was for all my family. That mean you! (no exceptions, no middle class exclusive new age nazi fascism)
Allah Akbar.
King Amdo.
CYMRU TRIBAL SOVERIGNTY!
TIBETAN TRIBAL SOVERIGNTY!
KingAmdo
I have also written to my MP...
11.10.2004 15:30
my version can be found here:
- james
James Cox
e-mail:
james@imajes.info
Homepage:
http://imajes.info/
Data Protection Act
11.10.2004 16:12
Stephen
Not just MPs
11.10.2004 16:15
I know that they will not exactly be sympathetic, but perhaps this will do something to expose the lack of democracy we have. Perhaps even better, email or fax your MEP - that way, there is a chance of this getting a higher profile amongst those close to a higher court than ours, and the govt. could get held in contempt of the Human Rights Act, despite their agreement with the Fascist Bureau of Investigations. When it is up and running again:
Lee
bbc ticker
11.10.2004 16:53
Sam
Sam
The Register
11.10.2004 17:18
e
In support
11.10.2004 17:59
Worth comparing this with the way the government has said it can't act against the various "redwatch" sites run by Combat 18/NF/BNP sympathisers.
Hywel Morgan
Wish you all the best
11.10.2004 22:32
Anyway, keep us all updated and all the best!
Feng Shui Guy
Homepage:
http://www.fengshuichinese.com
Whoops., sorry about the rumour mill!....turns out that...
12.10.2004 07:44
(yes they really are that pathetic...don't read anymore into it.)
Allah Akbar
King Amdo
King Amdo
Apologies again, my first interpritation was the correct one.
13.10.2004 15:46
King Amdo
A trickle of new information
13.10.2004 17:28
On a more positive note, Reporters Without Borders has issued a letter of support for Indymedia:
Also, the Association for Progressive Communications has condemned the act:
A call to Boycott Rackspace has been issued here and here:
This article (in Italian) names Enrico Di Nicola as the prosecutor of Bologna, Italy behind the server seizure:
Another article (in Italian) confirming much of the same:
Seems the Italian neo-facists couldn't take the criticism of their occupation troops, following a massacre of civilians in Iraq. It seems criticism of an illegal occupation constitutes, ahem, "terrorism."
A very poor translation of the Italian articles can be generated from the URL above here:
Lastly, an article in Spanish on the Indymedia shutdown:
Can any IMCistas translate and post these, please?
@
Homepage:
http://www.boycottrackspace.com/
all the best...
13.10.2004 18:01
you 'let me' rant occasionally...
but, my thoughts are with you indymedia...
as bully boys charge through private property
under the mis-use of a MLAT
agreement that was sold on
another premise entirely...
Intelligence/ security services
were set up for what again?
protect the public?
HA!
protecting the secret police, while they spy on us?
hmmm, that just could be it...!
I mean those swiss goons know the risks don't they?
shouldn't they be reprimanded/sacked for blowing their stoopid cover!
here's a tip:
don't use that regulation boot polish
quite so liberally!!!!
love
captain wardrobe
So whats this then ? from IMC Italy / the servers have been given back ?
13.10.2004 20:54
Inital victory- FBI return seized servers
Mayler, 13.10.2004 18:26
Global Indymedia Servers Returned After Indymedia Goes to Court!
by Sascha Meinrath
Email: sascha (nospam) ucimc.org (unverified!) 13 Oct 2004
In a huge initial victory for Indymedia, the two servers recently seized by the FBI were returned this morning to Rackspace (the hosting service where the servers were first taken from). Indymedia is now weighing additional legal options after this illegal seizure of its servers.
Content from
***
From Rackspace:
I know that you have gone through more than I can possibly understand. I was just told that the court order is being complied with and your servers in London will be online at 5pm GMT.
I will pass along anymore information that becomes available and that I am allowed to.
Again, I do not have the words to understand nor express the feelings and emotions you have endured since this began.
Regards,
Jason Carter
Business Development Consultant
jcarter (at) rackspace.com
****
From Jeff:
I also spoke to rackspace (Jacques) on the phone waaaaay too early this morning. ;)
So rackpace is ready to power the boxes up now. We are in a brief holding pattern before we have them flip the switch. We will treat the boxes as compromised (cracked/hacked) servers.
It is believed that the original data is on the drive, but we haven’t been able to verify this yet. That is a loooooooooooooooooooooong process.
Rackspace did say that the drives were the originals (so the gov’t probably cloned them).
Riotta
Homepage:
http://italy.indymedia.org/news/2004/10/662088.php
solidarity page?
18.10.2004 14:21
Love to the overworked techies,
bob
Things Not What They Seem, Our Enemies Have Seized America
19.10.2004 14:01
Do not go to New Mexico, Arizona, or Nevada or Southern California in particular. Under the Chapter 36 law they can force injections upon you to knock you out and then hold you for three days. They are evil, just as evil as the regime in Mexico, if not worse.
In Southern California, it is more of the same, but the federal government does it at will. Los Angeles is so big that there is only a state of seige by our enemies. Beware. Criminals are abounding in USA government. Ethics are gone. We moan in this nation for a complete overthrowing of those in power. They may not even be human at the higher ranks.
Where do we flee? We do not. Make alliances and make plans. A contingent around the globe is behaving as bad as Hitler's crew. America reminds me of Nazi Germany, except not only whites are abusive, but Mexicans, Jews (European descent but clanish), Blacks, and just about every other flavor under the rainbow.
I do not have the solution. I can only say that I know an international war is brewing and technology is being used against us, and which we do not know the details.
American government forces injections and may even be doing procedures on soldiers to compromise them on their way out of the services, i.e. implanted tracking devices or listening devices. They are capable of anything, are clannish, abusive, and lie.
The commander in Iraq who refused to go into a position to compromise his troops has my congratulations, but he will be out of the line up. Some times I believe that some troops are basically assassinated by our leaders. We hate each other, the many of America.
Lock and load, Roll, spin, and release. I would rather have been born dead than to have suffered the lies and abuses of this torn nation. Let it fall. We can build it again, but better, and with their heads used on the gargoyle posts just to remind the next billionaires without a human heart.
Final Acquisition
Homepage:
http://www.angelfire.com/zine2/democracyordeath/
Dump Rackspace!
19.10.2004 15:20
STOP NYC Inc.
Homepage:
http://www.worldbankboycott.org/
Forever ? You/we are not that good ...
23.10.2004 03:09
Anyways, don’t you think that declaration of the Global Statement of Solidarity of “We will never be silenced again” is kind of bold ? I mean, never is an awfully long time …
Zippo
What happened???
06.10.2006 13:52
It's now 2006, what became of this?
Sophie
e-mail:
sophie.shaw@ntlworld.com
rackspace folds to fascism
17.10.2008 09:09
I think you are a bunch of loosers and I will make sure anyone in my community has nothing to do with you.
Every hear of freedom of speech?
All you server farms and ISP's are way too compliant. Why don't you just hand your freedom over to the government totally?
because the group circulated pictures of undercovers infiltrating a group who has a right to exist? you should be ashamed of yourselves.
freedomisdead
e-mail:
none@nowhere