Howdy -
Below is info on the upcoming 'Rainbow Trials' from the 2008 Wyoming Rainbow Gathering. Please read and if you witnessed these incidents, took photos or video please get in touch with Scottie at:  sca@free-assembly.org

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      PCU  //..  Free Assembly Project    /       ~ an Association of Volunteers    /
      St. Louis, MO * Washington, DC
                                        PUBLIC INFO POST ~
                25 July 2009             ~ PLEASE CIRCULATE


        Wyoming 'Rainbow Trials' Set for September 28 --
        -- 3 Defendants to Fight False Charges
        ......................................................................................................................................

        On July 2, 2008, a man was pulled from a car in a Rainbow Gathering parking area, tazed multiple times, beaten, and arrested by Incident Command LEO's.
        On July 3, 2008, one woman was assaulted, another peppersprayed, both were taken down and also charged by LEO's during the infamous Kid Village provocateur fracas.

        This is the most egregious abuse of police power -- to inflict violence on a citizen, and then malicious criminal charges, insult upon injury, and the burden of prosecution.  Three participants in the 2008 Rainbow Gathering in Wyoming were turned into hapless Defendants, and they have refused to roll over or back down:  Dale Kellogg, Skye Riggs, and Rose Stanley.

        The Government & Court have dallied and dithered over these cases for over a year, apparently hoping to wear down the charged parties and force a deal.  Instead, these Defendants have been frustrated and fed up with the delays (i.e., denial of speedy trial), and pushed their attorneys for resolution -- and the stalemate finally broke a few days ago.

        One defense lawyer sent the news and stated the needs:
"We are set for trial on September 28, 2009 at 8 am in Lander, WY.  We must file witness and exhibit lists no later than August 3, 2009.  This means we must contact all of those who will be testifying.   We must ascertain whether they can appear and also gather all contact information.  ..."

        This is the last chance for witnesses to come forward.
        IF YOU OBSERVED ANY OF THESE INCIDENTS,
        OR TOOK GOOD VIDEOS OR PHOTOS, PLEASE STEP UP NOW.

        PCU_/FAP has assisted these Defendants with known witnesses so far, but these cases should have been dropped at the outset, and it was uncertain that they would proceed to trial -- until Now.  At this point, with a short 8/3 deadline for witness lists to opposing counsel, we urge anyone with meaningful testimony to get in touch immediately:

      Reply to this post privately via email, and we can help prepare statements & materials as before -- and call the either of the attorneys, depending on which incident you actually saw --

    * Attorney for D.Kellogg & S.Riggs__Ron Kopriva, Lander WY:  307-332-5595
    * Attorney for R.Stanley__Jeff Stanbury, Riverton WY:  307-856-2207

        There is much at stake in these trials, for 'Rainbows' and all citizens...

                Thanks for your focus and support.

                        _scottie addison__
                          Coordinator

howdy,
  this is a Shanti Sena Alert, high priority.... please send information to .., Rob Savoye .., or plunker .....

ALERT ON DOOBIE OR TURQUOISE,
Complaints:       this Annual 2009... a guy calling himself "Doobie ".... ALSO CALLED HIMSELF MICHAEL PENDLETON...  claimed to be a MEDIC.. was part of several sensitive situations....

called himself Michael Pendleton from Northern California
used email ads..
                 jpenn@gmail.com

any other information??


]]]]   NOTE:
    apparently, even though this guy stated he was a MEDIC.... no one seemed to have actually CHECKED HIS CREDENTIALS... not any of the folks in CALM, etc...

    i would like to suggest that (IN THE FUTURE) an yone that proposes to be a MEDIC.. that somone from CALM or the Medical folks CHECK THEIR ACTUAL NAME AND CREDENTIALS... before any of these folks are accepted as Medic.... (i thought, by now, this would be normal, routine practice)..
    Folks who are working Shanti Sena, with Medics might should check out such persons also...

     "Doobie" apparently used peoples names as "creds"(with each other) and no one back-checked...

  MEDICAL PEOPLE -- please check each other out... a number of folks have been medical with Gathering for many years, who are known and trusted... some of these folks could check these other folks -- "newbees".... please..  ]]]]]

"DOOBIE"   was involved in several RIP-OFFS, etc...:

     (1)    ripped off some folks (for money) outa of the "Clean-up, 2009",
     (2) plus stopped at peoples' houses in Albuquerque... ripped off stuff...

      (3)   then, gaining the trust of Lynn (kid village lynn) he ripped her lap-top computer... and stole some $60 from Felipe...(kid village) ....  this is in Denver (last few days 7/20/09 or so...)

   It is likely that this guy is not only someone with the bad-habits of ripping and posing... BUT, he also may very well be an AGITATOR OR TROUBLEMAKER OR INFORMER... paid by the FEDERALS, etc...

below is a list of stuff he has been involved in (suspected)... past Gatherings, Earth First Rendezvous, etc..



DOOBIE PROFILE:     AKA JOHN GLASS, MICHAEL PENDLETON, etc..

    A Brief Bio of "John Glass" (probably not his real name)

Has also used the names Jason Hammel, John West and Rew or Andrew Stines. He looks a little different every time he shows up at a campaign but always volunteers to do security or communications shifts. He is branching out to many more different campaigns and events than just EF! or Rainbow.

Fall 1997
Posed as a medic at the Headwaters base camp in Stafford, CA.  Gave out one prescription medication for any malady.  Two tents full of donated camping and climbing gear disappeared just before he did.

Summer 1998
Spent time in activists' houses in Missoula, MT.  Carefully watched videos at the Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers office.  Dropped names, carried cell phone, made many claims of fame, gave details of events that took place a direct action at Headwaters to gain trust with one activist who later loaned him her 4X4 truck for "wood gathering" at Buffalo Nations in West Yellowstone, MT.  Told the campaign that the truck was for  sale and that he was going to be buying it.  Claimed to be a "big dope grower" from Alderpoint, CA, and to be on a hot shot fire crew.  "Volunteered" at Buffalo Nations (now Buffalo Field Campaign), flashed a (stolen?) park service badge, spread rumors of mushroom cultivation which got him kicked out, but not before he stole a wallet  and credit cards from another volunteer and ordered hundreds of dollars of compute r software. It was rumored he was driving to Helena a lot to screw a girl who looked to be 14 years old.  The truck was returned once the activist filed a police report stating the truck stolen and an all-points bulletin issued in 4 states. He deserted the vehicle in a field, with  Bob Marley & Grateful Dead tape, Burger King trash, gas can & lantern in it.  He stole an antique knife-axe from the truck.

Fall 1998
"Volunteered" at Black Mesa and Shundahai Network.  Stole several hundred dollars of petty cash.  Showed a wallet with a military ID.  Activists later attempted a search but "access" was "denied".

Fall-Winter 1998
Used Buffalo Nations business card he'd printed up to gain entry into the Minnehaha Free State in Minneapolis, MN. Claimed to be from Arcata, CA.  Was deemed untrustworthy and coincidently the activists picked up strong police radio signals when he was in camp.  He was asked to leave, he asked if he could get "his axe" first.  When he was taken to the bus station, he used the phone and later some eyewitnesses saw him picked up by two men in suits in a black car with tinted windows.

Fall 1999
Elaho Valley, BC Canada. Infiltrated the campaign to stop logging in the Elaho Vally.  Became involved with the road blockades for several weeks.  Gained trust of activists who asked him to caretake their house.  He was gone upon their return along with many of their belongings.  He possibly stole a white van as well.

July 2000
Worked at CALM (the first aid station) at the national Rainbow Gathering in Montana.  Used the names "Turquoise" and "Sun Ray". Dropped names to gain trust, and claimed to be a "Wilderness Paramedic" (there is no such title). Claimed to have a van full of "Earth First!s radio equipment, satellite phone, and climbing gear. The van is rumored to have been stolen in Canada. Disappeared for 24 hours.  Exhibited minor first aid skills but called for a helicopter evacuation for a fellow who'd smashed his knuckles punching a tree.  Came out of "nowhere" when folks were setting up the radio repeater for the communication system at the gathering. Smoked huge quantities of cannabis daily. Hit on underage women. Gave a false e-mail address: fletcher97@earthlink/enviro.org. Dug a huge pit in a wetland and put medical waste in it.  Skipped out with 4 of the radios:
1- Kenwood 78
1- Linco 580T
1- F-T 50
1- F-T 51R both worth $500 each.
Also missing are a Yaesu FT51R battery pack, a Motorola FRS radio, and one Pryme PR 460  GMRS radio.
July 2000
From Helena, MT he traveled to a Hempfest in Harrisburg, Lynn County, Oregon with Lynn Hargrave and Laura Thompson.  Involved with Lynn in a relationship since the Rainbow gathering.  Stole Laura's '98 VW Jetta, CA plates on July 14, 2000 with all of her belongings. Report is filed with "corp. Yon" 7-17-00 at the Police Dept. at Lynn County. (541-967-3911)

July 2000
Springerville, AZ, visited with Alex Pierce whom he'd met at the gathering.  Hung around Alex's tattoo shop for a week, recieved a "Steal Your Face" tattoo on his right upper arm just below t-shirt line.  (Steal Your Face is a red white and blue skull/thunderbolt  graphic from the Grateful Dead). Made a concoction of herbs in the kitchen that were supposed to be "hallucinogenic" but made Alex violently ill and unable to get out of bed the next morning. He stole keys to the tattoo shop and stole $3900 worth of camera equipment.
1-Nikon FA with a motor drive
1-F2 28mm lens
1-F18 85mm lens
1-Metz flash
1-Yaesu FT50R (SN#7N240843)
Police report should be on file in Springerville, AZ. He also stole laminates for hemp/High Times events and skipped town.
Used the alias David M. West pobox 557, Arcadia, CA.  (a ham radio operator in Milford, Michigan) Also used the call sign KAIJFI, belongs to a ham radio operator in Massachusetts.  John Glass is a ham radio operator with call sign in Michigan.

August 2000
Appeared at the convergence space prior to the protests at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, showed security a backpack full of radio and camera equipment.  His photo had already been circulated through the security crews so he was immediately asked to leave.  He supposedly went to the Anarchist Convention instead.  At the Rage Against the Machine concert he set up a pup tent near the stage and was doing "first aid".  An activist observed him wrap gauze on a compound fracture of the forearm.

August-September 2000
Tried to infiltrate Santa Cruz Earth First!  at the Western Regio n al Rendezvous using the name "David".  Tried to get someone to "hook him up with two ounces" , a felony even in California, at an event that had a posted No Drugs policy. Bragged about having lots of very expensive radio equipment and claimed to be a reporter for High Times. Asked too many odd questions and was booted, also the activists had seen his photo and knew him to be an unwanted thief.

-----------------------------

Establish and practice good security culture. All communities should have a plan for how to deal with infiltraitors/disruptors. If you have contact with this person or if he shows up at your campaign with the stolen radio gear, encourage him to produce the stuff "on loan." If it's the stolen gear, reclaim it. You can do a citizen's arrest but call the cops. All campaigns should be warned of his method of operation as there are others like him who have or will use similar methods. "Glass" has poisoned someone; he is dangerous; DO NOT LEAVE HIM ALONE.

Consensus at 4:40 pm July 9th, 2009 in Vision Council at Venado Parque meadow, New Mexico
for the annual Rainbow Gathering, July 1-7, 2010:
New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky.

By Erika Celeste Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico 06 July 2009

 While most people express a desire for world peace, few have any idea how to bring it about. Some get involved in politics or community service; others support organizations working for conflict resolution. Many say a prayer for peace in their worship services. For the past 37 years, people from all 50 U.S. states as well as many foreign countries have spent the July Fourth holiday in Santa Fe National Forest near Cuba, New Mexico to pray for world peace.

There is a Native American legend which says when the earth is broken and the land is dying, a tribe of many colors and creeds, like the rainbow, will rise up to heal the planet. These special people would be known as the Rainbow Warriors.

All shapes, sizes and species are welcome in the Rainbow Family peace circle

In 1972, a group of about 2,000 free-spirited individuals decided to hold a gathering for world peace and took the name, the Rainbow Family, in honor of the legendary clan. A man who goes by the name Barry Plunkar helped organize the first gathering, which was to include an hour of silence for participants to meditate for peace.

"Now there is not any one place on this planet where you could impose any sort of authoritative silence on any of these people," he says.  

Only half of those present kept quiet. So the organizers made the silence voluntary and suggested that those who would like to participate should gather in a circle. Soon Christians and Krishnas, Buddhists and pagans, Jews and atheists were joining in the quiet celebration, holding hands in a meditation circle of peace. Over the years, the hour of silence has expanded, and now the circle lasts from dawn until noon.

"So there's no way to impose silence. It has to come from the community," Plunkar says. "That's self-discipline on the part of individuals."

Hour of silence grows into week of activities

The silence isn't the only thing that has grown over the years. The event itself has also grown, from a weekend to a full week of impromptu workshops, discussions and activities, with as many as 20,000 participants.

Jugglers practice before leading a workshop in the ancient art

Plunkar says people often begin camping in the forest as much as a month early to prepare for the gathering, while others stay after the event on clean-up duty.

"We all share one thing: We show respect to one another, with the idea and the vibration that if we truly had any love or respect for one another, we would not lay [power] trips on one other," Plunkar says. "We are not above one other; we're not below. We're sort of living a natural equality."

Because of this natural equality, Rainbows believe in self-responsibility and govern by consensus instead of through a hierarchy. There are no leaders, because that would be exercising control over another. There are no rules, except to treat each other with respect. Therefore, there are no membership requirements. Anyone who wants to be a Rainbow is a Rainbow.

Participants bring their talents

Denny, a man with long, blond dreadlocks, says while this may sound like it would inspire chaos, quite the opposite is true.

"We're known as the world's biggest unorganized organization, so everybody has to take it upon themselves to decide what their duty is. I personally love cooking, so I come with my talent and whatever I can, and a lot of people here have better talents to, say, make a tarp over the kitchen than, say, I do. So everybody comes out and brings whatever talent they can."

Volunteer cooks set up outdoor kitchens to make sure everyone at the gathering is well-fed

While some people dig trenches for latrines, others carry logs to construct foot bridges on forest paths, and still others erect tarps to shield sleeping quarters from the harsh sun. It's become a tradition to name the various campsites, so participants set up tents among the trees in areas called "Camp Kitten," 'Love Militia" and "Sushi Tribe."

It's a massive volunteer effort to feed the Rainbows during their gathering. Denny is one of a few dozen people running the kitchens, which serve free food. Like the campsites, the kitchens have catchy names. You can grab a bite to eat at sites like "Instant Soup," "Jesus Kitchen" and "Lovin' Oven." And many of the attendees take colorful Rainbow names, as well.

Food, music, merriment

Turtle Girl keeps busy in one of the kitchen areas

Turtle Girl is a marketing executive from Wisconsin. Dressed casually in a sweatshirt and khakis and sporting a cowboy hat, she kneads sourdough for bread near a large earthen oven. She says she's learned an important lesson from attending gatherings.

"Do we all know how to be kind to each other and treat each other with respect, no matter what walk of life you're in? That's what we should all be trying to do."

Musicians playing everything from folk music to rap wander through the forest, engaged in spontaneous jam sessions. Each day, people gather in the meadow in small circles for workshops on everything from herbal healing and tai chi to drumming and juggling. An outdoor market is set up along a path through the forest. Rainbows display bumper stickers, crystals, candy and other wares on blankets. Goods are purchased through barter and trade, not money.

A special area called Kid Village is set up for the smallest Rainbows. Medicine Story, a Wampanoag Indian from Massachusetts, uses his talent as a counselor to organize special games and music for kids.

"It's like a summer school in trying to figure out how to live together in a good way," Story says. "To me, the most important part of that is how we are with the kids and, of course, how we are with each other, because that effects the kids, too, and so that's my main focus."

Silent prayers for world peace

Robby and his friend Sunshine chat about previous gatherings

Excitement builds as the time for silence draws near. Robby is a Rainbow elder, a respected member who has attended many gatherings. A slight man, he sits in his wheelchair in front of his tepee and recalls his first one.

"I was sitting together in silence with my daughter, and I was crying. There were tears all over my face for Mother Earth, and a sparrow landed on my foot, a little sparrow. That's the kind of thing that happens in silence."

Turtle Girl smiles as she explains what it's like to be among 20,000 people gathered silently in a meadow, praying for peace.

"It's kind of an interesting thing to stand in a circle when you can't see the other end, and you know you're all thinking about the same thing that we wish we could stop war and have a peaceful family - it always makes me cry."

As the sun rose high in the Santa Fe Forest on Independence Day, the Rainbow's prayer for peace was spreading. Across the Atlantic Ocean, a second Rainbow Gathering was taking place in a forest in Ukraine. At noon, the silence broke and people begin to sing as the youngest Rainbows led a parade across the meadow, signifying the bright promise of tomorrow in a world of peace.

Rainbow Onsite Update June 26th 2009
Garrick

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Website: www.rpcnews.us
Email: rpcrew1 at gmail.com

TOWN MEETING SCHEDULED, GATHERERS SPIRITED YET CONCERNED FOR PERSONAL SAFETY

Cuba, NM (June 12, 2009) – A town meeting is scheduled for 6:00 PM on Wednesday, June 17th, at the community hall in Cuba, NM. Local residents and Rainbow gathering enthusiasts will come together to discuss this year's annual Rainbow Gathering with the intent of ensuring a positive, peaceful and healthy experience for all. Interested parties are encouraged and invited to attend.

This meeting is particularly significant because gatherers want to assure the local residents that the gathering will not have nearly as many visitors as was recently reported in the local media, and that the gatherers who do attend strictly adhere to the principles of peace and non-violence, because the entire goal of the weeklong event is to camp out peacefully and pray for world peace.

A report broadcasted from KOAT ABC news stated that the gathering could be as large as 75,000 people. Recent gathering attendance has actually been closer to 7,000, according to United States Forest Service (USFS) estimates. Forest Service spokeswoman Mary Cernicek noted that "some of the larger gatherings have been upwards of 30,000." (Pinedale WY Roundup, June 11, 2008.) While this has been true in the past, gatherers believe the Forest Service often overestimates attendance to receive more funding. Another Forest Service spokeswoman more accurately reported in reference to the 2007 Arkansas gathering, "The event reached its peak with an estimated 6,000 people." (Arkansas Online, July 6, 2007). Regardless of their numbers, many of the attendees will be vacationing professionals who will bring hundreds of thousands of dollars to the area.

Many believe attendance at the annual event is falling because of the government's intensified harassment campaign against Rainbow events. This has ranged from numerous citations for offenses like having a dusty windshield after driving on an unpaved road, to six-month prison sentences for gathering without a permit, to the Forest Service's recent purchase of 700 tasers and subsequent tasering of peaceful gatherers hours away from any hospital. One gatherer was even tasered at the 2008 annual Gathering in Wyoming while he was in handcuffs and already on the ground. Video is available of this incident.

Last year the tension between gatherers and law-enforcement officers reached a peak on July 3rd when a law-enforcement team opened fire on Kid Village which is the children's area of the gathering. Just as the children were about to have dinner, the team tackled and arrested a gatherer in the food preparation area of the kitchen, directly in front of the children. Gatherers moved towards the children to shield them from the officers' demonstration of violence. The officers over-reacted to this sudden movement and opened fire with bullets packed with pepper spray, many of which would explode on impact.

Many more gatherers arrived quickly in response to the call, “Shots fired in Kid Village!” to protect the children. Peacekeepers kept the angry gatherers at a safe distance from the officers who continued firing, now appearing frightened. Then for reasons unknown, the officers began targeting the peacekeepers, shooting them in the back. Other gatherers tried to show the officers the way out of the gathering, but the attack on the gatherers continued until the officers finally cooperated and left.

The Forest Service immediately launched a vast media campaign and by July 5th, newspapers far and wide printed the officers' claims that they were surrounded by 400 gatherers who threw rocks and sticks at them. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sharply contradicted those claims in an investigative report based on interviews with about 60 witnesses. The ACLU report concluded that the USFS presence at Rainbow gatherings showed an unnecessary pattern of "continual harassment and heavy-handed enforcement methods." The Department of Agriculture's Office of the Inspector General is currently looking into the incident after numerous citizen complaints about the officers' behavior.

Seed camp has begun with volunteers helping to set up for the gathering; a temporary village is being built amid the trees, Swiss Family Robinson-style. Enjoyable occurrences like theatrical performances, religious services of all kinds, workshops, campfire musical jams, poetry slams, sign-language classes, pie bake-offs, parades and more unfold. Among the many interesting things to see and experience there is autonomy in action. Gatherers successfully maintain their own security, public health, water and sanitation systems, and volunteer crews cover parking, fire patrol and communications - all without any leaders or hierarchy - and have done so for over 37 years. Rainbow volunteers operate on both a moral and practical work ethic they hope the world will adapt: "If everybody does a little bit, everything gets done."

Gatherers hope that their peaceful intentions will be met with a readiness to cooperate on the part of the employees responsible for the National Forests. However it is feared that intimidation tactics such as blatant shows of force have already begun for this year, one of the first indications that the gatherers will be harassed or worse. On June 10th, the first day the gatherers convened to decide on the gathering location, a witness spotted “14 USFS jeep type vehicles pull out of their headquarters (in Albuquerque) in formation and head north.”

The gathering is set to take place in the Santa Fe National Forest, north of Albuquerque, from July 1 through 7; clean-up runs from July 8 to completion. Although gatherers are wary of law enforcement presence, they anticipate a wonderful reunion with old friends and a great time had by all. Interested members of the public can learn more at gathering.webhop.biz, a website run by gathering enthusiasts who, naturally, represent no one but themselves.

This press release is provided as a service of the Rainbow press crew, a completely unofficial affiliation of volunteers who - like all the other volunteers who work to make the gathering happen in a peaceful manner- have not been authorized by anyone to speak for any Rainbow related entities or events. Additional press releases are on the Rainbow press crew's website, www.rpcnews.us.

Please forward

2009 Annual Rainbow Family of the Living Light Gathering
July 1st ~ 7th, 2009


The 2009 Annual Rainbow Gathering of Living Light will be celebrated July 1st through July 7th. Consensus at the 2008 Annual Vision Counsel was that the 2009 Annual Rainbow Gathering of Living Light will be celebrated in the beautiful lands of New Mexico. This is a wonderful opportunity to come and be with us strong in Spirit and long on love. What we have is community open to your energy, freedom to be and a desire for peace. Make time in your busy life to rejoice and come be with us on the land. "We Love You!" WELCOME HOME


38th Annual Rainbow Gathering of the Tribes

News from 2009 Rainbow Family Spring Counsel

The 38th Annual Rainbow Gathering of the Tribes is at Parque Venado in the Santa Fe National Forest. 24 miles from of Cuba, New Mexico.

The site is beautiful, altitude is 8,500 - 9,000 feet. Nice gentle terrain with long meadows and great forest. Be prepared for cold nights (low 40's to 50 degrees) Warm days in the mid 80's and sunny. 1/2 hour afternoon thunderstorms most days, which are downpours, bring good rain gear.

Directions: From Cuba, New Mexico take State Road 126 East for 13 + miles to FS Road 103 on left, go 2 miles to FS Road 69 on left then drive 9 miles to where FS Road 69 meets FS Road 70 .... Directions are rough - enjoy!

Welcome Home!!

http://welcomehere.org/gathering_of_the_tribes/annual/