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Indymedia Server Seized By UK Police, Again
timbrown writes with word that "On 22 January 2009, Kent Police seized an Indymedia server hosted by Manchester-based colocation facility UK Grid and run by the alternative news platform Indymedia UK. The server was taken in relation to comments on an article regarding the convictions in the recent Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) trial. Seven activists were sentenced to a total of 50 years in prison."
The complete story is worth reading; timbrown continues: "I'm posting this as a concerned UK administrator who hosts a number of sites. The message appears to be clear: the UK establishment does not want political content, legitimate or otherwise, hosted from these shores. The message has been noted, however free speech must be supported even where it may not be agreeable."
freedom of speech..
btw I run a site along the lines and I have an interesting setup, the database server is in one country and the web frontend is in another with secure tunnel between so if someone does a traceroute to the site and then goes datacenter and pulls the server out of rack all they get is a proxy, its far from perfect but at least the database is safe
Assuming that indymedia were uncooperative with the investigation, I have to concur completely.
SHAC, PETA, and SPEAK are all basically different wings of the ALF. None of these groups are 'pro animal rights' and are all just anti science. I get annoyed as the next person when the WI (or some other harmless group) gets put on the list of terror organisations, but these people are sick barsteds hell bent on sending us back to the dark ages and sacrificing (literally) scientists who conduct vital research on the altar of 'animal rights'.
We are NOT talking about organisations like the BUAV here. These are not legitimate protest groups exercising their right to free speech. They are terrorist groups who undermine our democracy by taking the right to make decisions away from the people by intimidating our elected officials and civil servants.
If indymedia did offer to co-operate with the police, or the police didn't seek thier co-operation first before getting a warrant then this was heavy handed and the police are in the wrong. If the reverse is the case and indymedia just refused to help the police then the police have done exactly what they are supposed to do. Get a warrant!
"You updated a website protesting animal cruelty vs drug companies. Now we're gonna smack you with a conspiracy charge for 4.5 years in prison."
Try, "you were basically CIO of a terrorist organisation."
SHAC/ALF are not a group protesting animal cruelty. They are a bunch of anti science luddites hell bent on hurting scientists and engineers.
There's a bit of a difference between "this is how you make a bomb", and "This is where he lives, let's get him".
So... did they say "This is where he lives, let's get him" ?
Nothing in the post or article mentions a death threat... if the person made a death threat then that is a completely seperate issue, or do you think the medium that the threat was made through is somehow relevant.
If he sent a death threat in the post would you expect all the postal trucks to be impounded ?
Everyone thinks they are objective, nobody is.