And we're not talking Halloween, either. Indymedia, an alternative news hosting site located in London, was indirectly ordered by the FBI shut down some of the websites it hosted for independent media in the UK. Granted, Indyspace was using servers (located in London) that were owned by a US-based company with a branch in London, but isn't this going a little too far to suppress free speech in another country?
What really spooks the alternative news folk is the fact that Indymedia was set "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" before they were shut down by the US Government this past week.
The ISP that was hosting 20 Indymedia newssites declines to tell Indymedia exactly why the servers were confiscated, other than the general "cooperating with the US government in the interest of national security" ruse that has been used on way too many illegal seizures and intimidation perpetrated recently by our government.
Any advocate of free speech should be absolutely incensed at the action, and journalists---regardless of political persuasion in this country--should interpret this as a subtle warning that BIG BROTHER has very long, sticky arms that can cross international jurisdictions. Do the Feebs really think there are encrypted messages to the terrorists in the news stories coming from the alternative press in England?
Miulang
Indyspace story here: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/10/298741.html
What really spooks the alternative news folk is the fact that Indymedia was set "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" before they were shut down by the US Government this past week.
The ISP that was hosting 20 Indymedia newssites declines to tell Indymedia exactly why the servers were confiscated, other than the general "cooperating with the US government in the interest of national security" ruse that has been used on way too many illegal seizures and intimidation perpetrated recently by our government.
Any advocate of free speech should be absolutely incensed at the action, and journalists---regardless of political persuasion in this country--should interpret this as a subtle warning that BIG BROTHER has very long, sticky arms that can cross international jurisdictions. Do the Feebs really think there are encrypted messages to the terrorists in the news stories coming from the alternative press in England?
Miulang
Indyspace story here: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/10/298741.html
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