Steve
----- Original Message ----- From: "Etienne" <tim_boetie at fastmail.fm> To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org> Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 12:09 PM Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Re: indymedia = occupied media
> 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/
>
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