The pictures the FBI didn't want you to see!

Here is some of the background to the FBI's extraordinary seizure of indymedia hard drives in the UK. We don't yet know why they were seized, and indymedia's provider Rackspace has been gagged. It is an interesting coincidence that the European Social Forum in London starts next week. One of the things taken off-air was 'Radio RampArt', set up to provide coverage of the ESF:

http://radio.uk1.indymedia.org:8800/rampART, still off-air when I tried. 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. Below are the relevant pictures of Swiss undercover cops, who were spying on anti-G8 activists.

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.

For more information, see

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/10/298741.html

The original Nantes post is now a 404, but you can still read the post at

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/mtoups/nantes/copsinnantes.htm

Please distribute as widely as you can. Another media is not only possible, it's happening right now, and they can't stop us!

Anon for obvious reasons

Comments

Hide the following 8 comments

dunno if this is very helpfull

08.10.2004 10:54

but really can't find anything particularly offensive in these pictures... was thinking it could more be the text, but can't really understand it.

In case it is that posting of course - maybe Bush and his crazies are just angry that there is so much negative publicity about him and his war on Iraq on Indymedia?

nousa

do not remove

08.10.2004 12:46

I can see the temptation to remove these photo's- to avoid the backup server being seized too. I suggest that we stand our ground and mirror the site as much as we can.

fuck 'em, This show's we are (just about) decentralised enough to withstand this attack on our freedom of speech.

let's get mirroring kids......

anon IMCista

shiny snhiny

08.10.2004 13:22

Oooh, I love the shiny shoes...

BTW: Could this raid not be related to other issues, like RNC delegate lists, Bush's itinerary? And why are all these IMC being hosted on a commercial service like Rackspace? Can anyone explain?

jjf