[lbo-talk] Re: indymedia = occupied media

[Etienne]

On Tue, 2004-10-12 at 08:34 -0700, DSR wrote:
> --- jimi ayler <jimi_ayler at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> > bad news for the worldwide grassroots indymedia
> > movement -- 20 of their overseas servers have been
> > shut down by the FBI, allegedly at the request of
> > italian & swiss authorities. here's the story as
> > reported by the bbc -- sure hope lbo is not next.
> > peace, jk
> 
> Didn't Doug or someone post an article last week that claimed the
> reason eventually given for the shutdown was that the indy site had
> pictures that would have compromised undercover agents?  (The next
> question is, undercover for what - infiltration of Gramma's Coffee
> Klatch for Peace or "terrorists"?)  Is there any follow-up this
> story?

One of the suggestions that was being bandied about when the servers
were first taken is that they were siezed because of pictures of
(alleged) Swiss undercover cops on a demonstration (Nantes Indymedia had
previously received some hastle from the Swiss authorities over this
article). This theory seems more plausible now that AFP are reporting
that the FBI say they siezed the servers after a request from
Switzerland and Italy. On the other hand, given that Rackspace, the
server hosts, won't even confirm who has got the servers, it's very
difficult even to guess what the reasons are.

The most recent Indymedia statement says:

"Indymedia volunteers can only speculate about possible reasons.
Switzerland Indymedia suspects that the order might have to do with two
photos published on the French site (IMC Nantes) of Swiss undercover
police agents in charge of the G8 events in Switzerland in 2003. In the
last few weeks there was contact between Swiss, specifically the Genevan
governmental authorities, and the FBI. The FBI also approached Rackspace
as well as a Seattle Indymedia activist recently regarding that matter,
but according to communication from Rackspace to Indymedia on Tuesday,
the matter appeared to to be closed.

For its part, Italy Indymedia can only assume that the request is
motivated by the Italian government's attitude towards Indymedia, which
has been overtly hostile ever since the 2001 G8 Summit in Genoa."

http://www.indymedia.org/en/2004/10/112047.shtml

UK Indymedia (one of the sites on the purloined servers, but back online
due to luck, paranoia and backups) has been covering breaking news on
the story on its front page: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/

There's also a nice write-up here:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/10/298884.html

Currently, Indymedia are attempting to generate mainstream interest in
the story to put pressure on the FBI (and any other involved police
organisations). If you have any contacts who could be useful, I'm sure
help would be appreciated - contact imc-press at lists.indymedia.org .

-- 
Tim
http://huh.34sp.com/