Help! The Rainbow Gathering at the Carson Nation Forest in New Mexico is being evicte

Help! The Rainbow Gathering at the Carson Nation Forest in New Mexico is being evicted by the Forest Service and has been given a one hour vacate or be arrested notice!



Two days ago, the FS dropped off a permit for water disposal or something along those lines because our “group” exceeds 75 people. Since there is no "official" leader, of course, a permit could not be signed. About 2 hrs ago (~6 pm), the FS came back very aggressively ,with assault rifles, and said we had one hour to pack up and leave the forest or we would be cited, arrested, etc..



Two of us have driven into town to alert the local media and the rest of the family to what is happening to us here. We need some lawyers out here to address the issues for us. Seven Forest service vehicles with dogs, one state police, and one sheriff, as well as a white unmarked van stand ready right now to arrest and harass the rainbow in Carson. One elder, Kalef, was arrested this afternoon.



Please help and come to the Carson National Forest. They came with assault rifles on unarmed women and children! They stated that because the permit goes unsigned we are being forced to leave. Rainbow warriors are constructing a barricade of cars to block forest service action threatened against us, (tickets and towing).



The gathering is located near Tres Piedres (Hwy 285 and 64). N 285 10 miles, west of FS 87 10-12 miles, left at FS 93 for 3 miles, right at FS 88A for a mile or so.



A copy of this message is being sent to every online Rainbow group and whatever local media we can reach. Please spread the word of what is happening here in New Mexico to every online discussion group, the media, etc... Call your congress people! What is happening here is wrong and un-constitutional!

Sensei

 

This is too bad. I'm cross posting this to other sites now...Peace.

 

my mom was just there. its pretty bad and i'm from taos so i know the cops it was actually them and not the forrest service since no permit was signed the forrest service wa sordered to hand the problem over to the state authorities

 

I'm going to do what I can first thing in the AM to get a hold of a lawyer. Please keep us updated!!!!


I too emailed the Governer. If you are short on time, feel free to copy and paste and make any of your own revisions to this and send to the link below:

http://www.governor.state.nm.us/emailchoice.php?mm=6

Dear Governor Bill Richardson,

I write you with a plea to get involved to keep the peace at a peacable gathering which has been threated with police violence. By the time you read this, the violence may have affected many innocent people already.

If you believe in our right to gather peaceably on public land, you will understand why there are those who work to preserve it. If a right goes unused, it can be slowly eroded. Many people of all walks of life are right now gathering near Tres Piedres to honor the land and the right to gather in peace upon it. No one is a leader of this peaceable gathering; no one (in principle) is excluded to join with those already gathering; no one is gathering to pose a threat or nuisance to the general population of your state. However, some in authority (please if you can find out who) have decided that the particular gathering of people near Tres Piedres is illegal. The crime of those on the National Forest land there? These people did not sign a permit based on the unconstitutional law passed in 1995 specifically for the government to harrass "rainbow gatherers".

I say, the police at this point on the land should deem themselves illegally there as soon as they set themselves up in a relationship with those already gathering for peace. Police are the peace keepers after all!! You may be inclined to agree that the police are obligated to enforce the law as written so that gatherers have to enforce their First Amendment rights in court. I would be inclined to agree as well if the officers acted in peace- but please look into this, because reports speak of enforced deportment at the point of automatic rifles in force far exceeding the "threat" of unarmed families, including children who permanently reside in New Mexico.

Governors have stepped up in the past to quell the heavy hand of overzealous law enforcement toward these gatherings. Please help these people so they may stay and heal the land of their and law enforcement's imprint, and safely, peacefully move on to the next spot of land to excercize the rights granted by our forefathers.

In zealous gratitude for all you can do,

 

i just got this morning, i know its a wee bit late, but ive spent the past hour spreading the word, lets all pray and om for the safety of out family

 

heard that folks were patty wagoned away 12 at a time, but no word on the truth of that. I know there were wee ones there and don't know if they got out in time... so I'm looking myself and will call on it tomorrow, too.

 

Makes me hate this country even more . . .

Land of the free my ass.
Laws are supposed to protect you (if even that) not control you.

Im on the opposite side of the country, but I hope all goes well for everyone

 

damn I wish I was out there to lead help where it is needed. I will ohm for phamily tonight. Keep us updated when any of you can!

 

OK, here's the latest that I've gotten:
There were not near as many arrests are were being rumored, 9 is the number I heard and most have been released. Two people are still locked up, Kalif & one other person; hopefully they will both be released tomorrow.

Due to a lot of hard work by some very dedicated folks, it seems that as of today things may be worked out for the NM regional. A ranger showed up with an operating plan, communications are open.

 

i just got this e-mail this morning from one of the yahoo groups, yeah only 9 got arrested, just read it and you shall see

loving you all



From AGR.

Karin Zirk <kzirk@earthlink. net> wrote:
Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2007 17:04:59 -0700
To: kzirk@earthlink. net
From: Karin Zirk <kzirk@earthlink. net>
Subject: Regional Gatherings and the USFS

Recently, some folks in New Mexico focalized a regional gathering.
For reasons I am in the dark on, they chose not to
try to utilize the method used for the Annual Gathering in
Arkansas (working with resource people ahead of time to
find a site that met the needs of Rainbow and the USFS
in order to avoid the permit requirement and have the ability
to work out an unsigned operating plan).

The situation between the gathering and the USFS became
very confrontational. It has been somewhat resolved now,
but I wanted to pass on some thoughts from Garrick and Barry
regarding the situation in the hopes that future regional
gatherings can utilize the operating plan method.

Love,
Karin



************ *******Begin forwarded message FROM GARRICK***** ********* ***


Hello Colorado,

Just a few words here to share…without going into
the long bedraggled story of what just happened
here in New Mexico, but some of the results could
be, could be, useful to the upcoming Colorado regional.

First, in NM no one, repeat, no one, so much as
knocked on the FS’s door – and the ranger
district hq is right on the way in to the
selected site. No one did any part of the two-way
street of cooperation: No one made any
notification; No one went to meet with any
resource people; No one met with any resource
people about an operating plan, nor about any
considerations for site use/planning/ rehab or
protection. Nothing. And when there were 150
people on site and the leo’s showed up, then
people came hurrying down to phone me for help.
What is this?? If a group wants to do direct
action, civil non-violent disobedience, fine. Do
that. But don’t come a-runnin’ after the crap
hits the fan, asking for negotiations to save the
situation. We can’t have it both ways.

Even so, there were a bunch of last minute
dialogues. No question if there had been more
time, we could have steered the event into legal
territory. As it was, first the leo’s issued
tickets, maybe about 25 of them, folks scattered
into the woods and the leo’s gave everybody an
hour [it was late in the day] to leave, an eviction order.

The next day they came back and arrested a total
of nine people. All people who had gotten tix the
day before; and they gave out about 25 more
tickets and they blocked the road turning
everyone who came up there away. This wasn’t a
checkpoint. This was a closure, period.

SP – who was in town, then met with the deputy
forest supervisor and gave the FS an application
for special use, Not a permit application,
technically, because he offered no
name-of-person- who-will- sign-on-behalf- of-anybody.
He did give a contact person name, but didn’t
sign the application for special use on the line
at the bottom. The Deputy Forest Supervisor [who
was the district ranger during the very sweet nm
1995 annual rainbow] told Sp he couldn’t accept
the application because even it wasn’t signed.

That was on Thursday nite, after the first
ticketing, but before people were arrested and the road blocked.

The next afternoon Sp went back to the Forest
Supervisor’s office and signed the application
for special use, still leaving the place for Who
would sign a Permit marked “Not Applicable” and
attaching documentation about why this goes against our creed.

Deputy Supervisor Dan Rael said they would
consider this; and began drawing up an Operating
Plan for use. Still, he indicated that he needed
approval from ‘upstairs’ to allow this. After Sp
phoned me about this, I called the D.C. offices
and mapped out the whole story-thus-far as best I
could. They said they would consider this and
call Deputy Supervisor Rael and call me back too.

Right. This was late Friday afternoon, and by the
time anybody was able to do anything,
everybodies’ offices were closed for the day,
really for the weekend. And by Friday late in the
day, the arrests had already been made; the
tickets had been issued; the way in had been
closed. What can I say? Too little, too late. Still, there’s more.

The numbers onsite dwindled to less than 75
people. Folks camped in diverse places: other
smaller groups elsewhere on the Carson Forest;
some on private lands; some right across from the
ranger district hq; some went home; some boarded
their spaceships and returned to the Starfleet; etc.

But by early Sunday, that’s today, several other
things had occurred. 1. There was a resource
ranger onsite with an approved Operating Plan. 2.
Some people were drifting back onto the site. 3.
I received a phone message from D.C. saying that
they had “left the him [the deputy forest
supervisor] a message hoping he could work thru
this” and hoping that everything would work out
well. It’s hard to interpret exactly what that
means, but it sure isn’t an “I’m sorry, but we
can’t work with you on this” response. I think it
clearly indicates that An application for special
use properly filled out, with the place for the
Holder’s name marked as “not applicable” and an
operating plan substituted for the holders name
and signature can be a valid accommodation of the
unique style of assembly called rainbow gatherings.

We should make use of this, and certainly try to
utilize this as an alternative manner to either
the permit structure or the civil disobedient
action. This is a workable middle ground – at
least until we can get a procedure for using the
operating plan like we had in Arkansas accepted for use across the board.

Can I say this again? We could try to use an
application for special use coupled with an
operating plan (instead of a signature on a
permit) as an alternative to either civil
disobedience or a permit. I believe Forest
Supervisors’ offices may be given the green light to go ahead with this.

REMEMBER THE AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS BY THE LEOS IN
ARK WERE DESIGNED TO GET US TO REJECT THE
OPERATING PLAN AS A SOLUTION. WE ARE PLAYING INTO
THEIR HANDS BY SEEING THE ROUGH LEO BEHAVIOR IN
ARK AS THE WHOLE PICTURE. THEY WANT US TO REJECT
THE COMPROMISE OPERATING PLAN SOLUTION – WHICH WE
USED SUCCESSFULLY FOR OVER A DECADE AT SOME OF
THE BEST GATHERINGS ANYONE CAN REMEMBER – THEY
WANT US TO REJECT THAT AND SEE ALL THE FOREST
SERVICE IN AN EVIL LIGHT SO THEY, THE LEO’S CAN
RETAIN COMPLETE CONTROL INSTEAD OF LETTING IT
SLIP BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE RESOURCE RANGERS’
PEOPLE. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN.

So I pass this along to Colorado as an idea, that
someone could give an application like sp did in
nm this past week; or like plunker did in mt
2000; and use the operating plan in place of the
signature. It’s not quite the same as what was
done in Ark., but it is a step forward in the
peacemaker’s direction. If the fed’s want to
issue an “authorization” or a “permit” that’s
their business, that’s their paperwork. If no one
signs as an agent for the rest of us; if no one
signs as a ‘designated signer”; if no one signs a
permit well then that’s in keeping with the creed
that we have at the core of our beliefs.

Feel free to pass this along or email me back
about it. There’s much more to tell…and the most
important part I left out is how completely
wonderful the gathering was before the leo’s went
and busted it up. And that’s the truth of it.


garrick

ps. Everybody arrested except Kalif and Pennie
are out on the own recognizance now. Those
remaining two are headed to the Sandoval Federal
Detention center and we're hoping they will get
released tomorrow [monday] also on their own recog.


pps. i enclose barry's rap on "Notification" :



******Begin forwarded message from Barry******* ******



howdy,
yep, NOTIFICATION. ... in the Original
Invitation, 1972, it reads (in part):

"all nations and national leaders... our of respect"

This includes the USA i.e. People of the United
States and (their) Forest Service

Every single Petition and/or Request for
'accommodation" that I have made, over the years,
ALWAYS INCLUDES NOTIFICATION. ... even when
threatened or under fire... I have always
advocated contacting with the Resource Forest
Service... letting the PEOPLE i.e. of the US,
know... this is minimum respect... (Resource
Stewards of the Forest Service are hired "by these people".

i.e. to show minimum RESPECT.. through, at least,
calling in for RESERVATION of SITE...

NOTIFICATION -- on the part of whatever
individual/s who seek ACCESS for SPECIAL USE OF
NATIONAL FOREST and/or PUBLIC LANDS...

and to meet the ACTUAL CONCERNS OF
FOREST SERVICE STEWARDS of NATIONAL FOREST... the
OPERATING PLAN -- mutually worked out between
Forest Service Resource and Recreation (and)
LEO's WITH the ASSEMBLED PEOPLE (over 74 or more)...


An APPLICATION (by any attending individual/s) is NOTIFICATION. ..

hope things work out... this time in New Mexico...

IF this is a "rainbow-style gathering"
then it shall be "accommodated" per October,
2006, email from Mark Rey addressed to my concerns....

I support this action for all the reasons noted, per gb's email...

COMMENT ON DIRECT ACTION:

IF people are going to engage in DIRECT
ACTION i.e. assemble without notification and
then defend the rights of the people to assemble
then any such individual/s should, in fact, be
clear in what they are engaged in... i.e.
DIRECT ACTION usually entails action, then
face-off with authorities, then "(civil
disobedience) civil obedience" meaning to the
First Amendment, Constitution. .. Note: also,
usually, it means that people thus engaged agree
on tactics of non-violence, mutual massive
arrests, court movies, etc... Direct Action is or can be very POSITIVE....

Going for, or speaking up, for Direct
Action, i.e. occupy national forest, see what
happens (in this case).... then, changing ones
mind, in mid-stream, and wanting to go for
"accommodation" is a huge error.... one way or
the other works best... informed people knowing
what they are into (or getting into) is even better...

I speak up here for CLARITY...

and MINIMUM RESPECT, for all other people, and
minimum respect in working things out with the
Resource Forest Service... IF you are seeking
"accommodation" .... STAND UP i.e. NOTIFICATION. .. please....

Direct Action calls for moral and personal
courage... and firing up people to jump into a
situation without the information concerning what
is likely to happen is something else...

Please DO CLARITY, for sake of the generations. ..
thanks, barry, plunker montana, rainbow family tribe...






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

 

yeah I'm sorry now to have helped spread a rumor of fear from what somebody thought was a reliable source (i.e. a cop)... some people have delusions of grandeur I guess and want to be one to say that bad shit is going down, make you afraid...

that said, 9 arrested is hardly an "only" in my book, it's probably almost 10% of those out there, and more got tickets, and more got guns in their faces, so this whole gig of living free in this country is getting harder and harder.

 

that is so true ...and this is only the tip of the iceberg to come...

 

i was in council , NM , when the officer's surrounded it . one said 'you still here ?' and arrested 5 more by means of a 'pick' . after that most folks went to a nearby brother's place , and such as i just hitched on to a Colorado gathering i've yet to find . hello from Durango !

always , itsa bless-ed trail .

wA~A~A~ t'iO zzzranbO!

 

interesting that this video has a media sponsor..

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...175&start=0&num=10&so=1&type=search&plindex=1