Guest guest Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 http://www.indymedia.org/en/2004/10/111999.shtml Indymedia Org. FBI Seizes IMC Servers in the UK 07 Oct 2004 22:00 GMT Thursday morning, US authorities issued a federal order to Rackspace ordering them to hand over Indymedia web servers to the requesting agency. Rackspace, which provides hosting services for more that 20 Indymedia sites at its London facility, complied and turned over the requested servers, effectively removing those sites from the internet. Since the subpoena was issued to Rackspace and not to Indymedia, the reasons for this action are still unknown to Indymedia. Talking to Indymedia volunteers, Rackspace stated that " they cannot provide Indymedia with any information regarding the order. " ISPs have received gag orders in similar situations which prevent them from updating the concerned parties on what is happening. It is unclear to Indymedia how and why a server that is outside the US jurisdiction can be seized by US authorities. At the same time an additional server was taken down at Rackspace which provided streaming radio to several radio stations, BLAG (linux distro), and a handful of miscellanous things. The last few months have seen numerous attacks on independent media by the US Federal Government. In August the Secret Service used a subpoena in an attempt to disrupt the NYC IMC before the RNC by trying to get IP logs from an ISP in the US and the Netherlands. Last month the FCC shut down community radio stations around the US. Two weeks ago the FBI requested that Indymedia takes down a post on the Nantes IMC that had a photo of some undercover Swiss police and IMC volunteers in Seattle were visited by the FBI on the same issue. On the other hand, Indymedia and other independent media organisations were successfull with their victories for example against Diebold and the Patroit Act. Today however, the US authorities shut down IMCs around the world. The list of affected local media collectives includes Ambazonia, Uruguay, Andorra, Poland, Western Massachusetts, Nice, Nantes, Lilles, Marseille (all France), Euskal Herria (Basque Country), Liege, East and West Vlaanderen, Antwerpen (all Belgium), Belgrade, Portugal, Prague, Galiza, Italy, Brazil, UK, part of the Germany site, and the global Indymedia Radio site. [ Updated Background Information | press contact: imc-press(a)indymedia.org ] add a comment on this article US government harrasment is evil prometheuspan 07.Oct.2004 22:47 i just wanted to offer my support, and say that this is an information war; and of course, since the truth is about to destroy Bush Junta; Bush Junta is doing what it can to supress the truth. Any officer or person aiding or assisting in this unlawful and patently politically motivated action should seriously think about wether they want to be the evil fingers of the government; or maintain a semblence of ethical dignity and refuse to commit crimes against information. I am shocked and dismayed that it has come to this this soon. Now that this new level has opened up, I am sure they will start controlling information the same way with other sites. paris is still working from france 07.Oct.2004 23:38 just, it's not (all france), it's (all france) exept paris. paris.indymedia.org This is serious mum, be grateful for updates on this. Ann.Other 08.Oct.2004 00:07 Am spamming mainstream media here on the issue, tho no known 'take downs' down under (wait till after the election?). Dunno relevance, but a number of oil depletion sites have reportedly been dis/re/appearing in last week. Melbourne.Au. lost in translation yetzt 08.Oct.2004 00:39 sorry, i forgot to translate this clause: " Zur gleichen Zeit wurde ein weiterer Server entfernt, auf dem BLAG (eine Linux Distribution), Radiostreams für verschiedene Radiostationen und diversen Kleinkram liefen. " Algo es seguro Dante 08.Oct.2004 00:49 si algo es seguro que no es una coincidencia, que empiesen a allanar y llevarse discos duros de sitios como indymedia en estas fechas, en las cuales se encuentran cercanas las elecciones en U.S.A, creo que veremos mas actos de este tipo en los meses venirderos Please more information Carlos Reis 08.Oct.2004 00:54 This is very serious! Please, I *need* more information about Brazil in this issue! I want to take this to the press and to the Senate. If this is true, we're gonna do something about it. Brazil constitutionally protects freedom of the press and it would be *outrageous* if FBI autohorities raided a server facility here! Please post more info!! Thank you. its not a coincidence Dante 08.Oct.2004 00:59 its not a coincidence the fact the elections are close, someting is for sure,the close are the elections the more thing like that we gonna see...bush administrations is goin to do everything they can in order to shut-up all de dicidency. wrong about swiss Mark McCarron 08.Oct.2004 01:25 I had some these guys (UK version) in my home tonight, its about 911. I was demanding to know why the work was censored. The swiss thing, is just a decoy. They thought I was receiving info across the web, not that I already had the info and was just performing a controlled release. It has not been censored, its just an examination of the posted material and comments, for further investigation. indymedia.org still has copies online. My protest Canadian 08.Oct.2004 02:36 I am not a regular vistor of IndyMedia but anyone who believes in the freedom of press ought to be outraged. My protest is my website: http://www.altlondon.org Thanks. The Nantes IMC Article In Question Recovered @ for Free Speech 08.Oct.2004 02:39 Google's cache of the Nantes IMC web page in question. (Sorry, no pix!) http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:EWMWT-NGfvMJ:nantes.indymedia.org/article.php\ 3%3Fid_article%3D3910+ & hl=en The photos allegedly in question are (allegedly) posted here: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/mtoups/nantes/copsinnantes.htm In Google's cache, the four photos in question were named doc-1636.jpg, doc-1637.jpg, doc-1638.jpg, and doc-1639.jpg. The photos on this site are numbered differently, however, a comment at the bottom of the original article in Google's cache states that the Nantes IMC blanked out the eyes (or faces) of the two undercover cops in question following a request by the FBI to do so. Pathetic. The photos in this link do not have the faces blacked-out, and are numbered doc-1594.jpg through doc-1597.jpg, so these are probably the photos from the original posting of the Nantes IMC web page in question, before the identities of the undercovers was hidden. Someone please post these pictures all over Switzerland. Thanks. The gov is out of control anonymous coward 08.Oct.2004 03:58 God this government is out of control. I can't believe this when I read it on Slashdot. Next thing you know its broadband over powerlines and they get rid of shortwave radio. Than what do we have left? Regulated internet, no free over the air comm, controlled TV, controlled print media. This is so out of control. I don't even know what to say but this government has got to go that's for sure. The thing is I don't even care anymore. I'm out of my teen angst stage. I pretty much watch a good amount of television, use un-free software, work a shitty job that I hate which sells support for non-free software, eat meat, smoke, all that shit. Has anyone else lost their vision? I don't know what the fuck has happened to me personally. I wish something would spark in me to revolt, but as long as my heat/ac works, beers in the fridge, I can go to mcdonalds for lunch whenever, I really don't care about shit anymore. I know it's wrong but its the truth, and it's hard to combat. The days of reading chomsky for fun are over for me. I'd rather watch MTV really even though its so vapid and useless and I realize that in the act of watching. Oh well. I'm going to smoke this last cig, finish my coke, turn off the tv, go up to my bed, sleep, wake up, eat a burger king breakfast, drive to my job were I fix computers running windows, and than probably cash my check and order some pizza, stay late at work and play some counter strike online on my friday night at work (they have some fast internet!). OMG im crying. Will someone smack some sense into me? It's like realize my own complacency but I can't do anything about it. Kinda reminds me of this quote I just googled of Malcom X. I remember it from when I read his bio back in the day. " It's like when you go to the dentist, and the man's going to take your tooth. You're going to fight him when he starts pulling. So he squirts some stuff in your jaw called novocaine, to make you think they're not doing anything to you. So you sit there and 'cause you've got all of that novocaine in your jaw, you suffer peacefully. Blood running all down your jaw, and you don't know what's happening. 'Cause someone has taught you to suffer -- peacefully. " Im out. Good luck. I'm not really a true revolutionary like I thought in High School. LMFAO! (no this is not a troll post) PEACE! FBI took the hard drives of IMC servers in the UK link 08.Oct.2004 04:08 FBI took the hard drives of IMC servers in the UK 07 Oct 2004 18:10 GMT http://www.indymedia.org/or/2004/10/111987.shtml RE: " The gov is out of control " Anonymouse 2 08.Oct.2004 09:10 Woah there bro, relax a little. The system is designed to make certain levels of participation inevitable. Take it easy, do some volunteer work with a decent local group for a while when you have some spare time and find folk you enjoy working with. Swinging from one extreme to another won't be good for your health or create much change, working on what you can, when you can, without wearing yourself down just might (what with the rest of us pitching in as well). Random tips that I find useful - Habitat for Humanity, " Don't think of an Elephant " (book), cut out the red meat, don't stress imperfection. Outside of US juridiction ??!!! Romain 08.Oct.2004 09:11 Rackspace is a US company, if it owns server in UK, its server have to respect the UK & US legislation... The US company is responsible of his server whereever they are !! so *these servers are not outside of the USA juridiction* because the company who owns them is in the USA ! Independence of IMC in question Strypey 08.Oct.2004 10:11 It really is a shame that the 'democratic' governments currently dominating the world are behaving like Nazis and Stalinisist at their worst but those of us who have been involved in Indymedia since the battle of Seatlle should not be surprised. The question has to be asked why are Indymedia sites being hosted by a commercial server who are so willing to hand their boxes over instead of digging their heels in, standing on their moral duty to defend free speech and challenging the FBI to see them in court? Where are the EFF? To busy defending virus writers to stick up for Indymedia? This is precisely why Indymedia site hosting should be as decentralized as possible. No more than 3-5 sites (preferably no more than 1) should be hosted on any one box. That includes the irc, wiki, lists and streaming systems as well as the sites. Each IMC should be hosted in another country - preferably one that has the frostiest diplomatic relations with the country that IMC serves. Ideally the Indymedia network should work like FreeNet with the sites and services striped across the global server network with built-in mirroring (multiple copies of all information) such that removing one or two boxes does not stop even a single site from operating. Ideally there should be a backup network of servers that can step in if authorities co-operate to take a number of servers down. I realize the incredible amount of programming and organisation this will take to achieve but it is becoming more and more obvious that it is the only way to defend freedom of speech as our 'democratic' governments and their corporate controllers become more and more indistinguishable from a global fascist takeover. Putting it on Freenet ZwiSter 08.Oct.2004 11:40 This means, this article in question swiftly (more or less) travels to freenet, to be safe. Das heißt: der Artikel landet schnell und sicher im Freenet. Ich hoffe er findet sich in ein zwei Tagen da. Schaut einfach bei http://freenet.sf.net vorbei. Das wurde genau für solche Fälle entwickelt. Es wird der mit den Bildern. Ich hoffe, sie sind die richtigen retaking the means of production?? milli kaewth 08.Oct.2004 13:40 It looks like overwhelming evidence that the Indymedia network needs to do something to develop the infrastructure on which their sites depend. It's a little hard to ride a bike with a few servers in your basket, but someway of eluding the autorities has to be divised. It's obvious that they want to shut IMC down, any way they can, all at once or little by little. I believe the Anti-Capitalist Convergence (ACC) wanted to get a working server a while ago, but the plan went bye-bye, as I think did ACC. What about an extensive plan of mirroring local IMCS? Or retaining copies of the sites to throw up on other servers in the event of an attack? Just throwing out some ideas.... Nice back online guidoke 08.Oct.2004 14:03 Imc nice is back online: http://nice.indymedia.org/ some reports in German: http://news.google.com/news?hl=de & lr=lang_en & output=search & ie=UTF-8 & ncl=http://w\ ww.golem.de/0410/34048.html reports in Italian: http://news.google.com/news?hl=it & lr=lang_en & output=search & ie=UTF-8 & ncl=http://w\ ww.giornale.it/folder/news8Ott2004145918.shtml & filter=0 reports in English: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en & lr=lang_en & output=search & ie=UTF-8 & ncl=http://w\ ww.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/08/1097089554894.html reports in French: http://news.google.com/news?hl=fr & lr=lang_en & output=search & ie=UTF-8 & ncl=http://b\ ellaciao.org/fr/article.php3%3Fid_article%3D9774 American stupids Jupp 08.Oct.2004 14:14 The americans feel like kings of the world. Why can this sh** american government catch european servers? These stupids (not the american peoples !!!) are frightend about their job's and their PR. IMC has shown illegal and bad work of the US Govern. These action has to be shown to the world!!! Who has give these power to the U.S??? ---> NOBODY This is a new sign for me that the U.S. government is a stupid community. Die Amerikaner fühlen sich wie die Könige der Welt. Wie kann diese sch*** US Regierung einen Europäischen Server requirieren? Diese bescheuerten (nicht das Volk!!!) haben Angst um Ihre Jobs und ihr gutes Ansehen. IMC hat den Leuten viele dieser Ungerechtigkeiten und illegaler aktivitäten der US Regierung aufgezeigt. Diese Aktion muss der Welt gezeigt werden. Wer hat den Amerikanern diese Macht gegeben --> NIEMAND Dies ist ein weiteres Zeichen für mich, dass die US Regierung nur ein bescheuerter Haufen ist. Temporary setback Just another UK cypherpunk 08.Oct.2004 15:33 The internet treats censorship as damage and routes around it. Next time we'll have mirror sites in more countries. No Comment Lloyd Hart 08.Oct.2004 16:58 I just spoke with someone at the FBI who did not want to be identified and who had no idea what was going on and could not varify whether or not a subpeona had been served to Rackspace. He did however say that other news agencies had been calling about this matter prior to my call but could not give them any info as well. I will pound on the FBI's door until they talk. Lloyd Hart @ jupp someone from germany 08.Oct.2004 17:44 we dont need your nazicomments. george bush is NOT " THE americans " . FBI Holger Terp 08.Oct.2004 20:19 Keep FBI and other agencies busy. They might get an information overload some day. I'll add the story to the Danish Peace Academy and have mailed it to Danish news agencies. Keep up the good work. Holger Terp Editor of the Danish Peace Academy. http://www.fredsakademiet.dk like in a B-movie Ulla 08.Oct.2004 20:50 The FBI, one of the poodles of the US government, acts as if they were the masters of the universe. Since the current government of the US is in charge, the world has become a place of fear, mistrust, hate and agression. So it is logic, that freedom of press, freedom of speech and freedom of demonstration are fighted . I pray for the good outcome of the November election. May Bush and his Club of the Evil be beaten by their own weapons :-)))) I hope they suffocate on their lies and I hope to see them all in Den Haag Hacktivists ? F4A 08.Oct.2004 21:35 The first time I read about Indymedia in the common (mainstream) news was with this story : " FBI took Indymedia's HD's ! " ... What a publicity ... ! or Indymedia's core poeple are in cause or there is some error/desinfo in the newz ... How can a current of counter intelligence (indymedia is a free counterintelligence program against the " press " system) put its datas in ... the hands of the giant ennemy ??? what ? 20 sites on the same server owned by a US private company in the UK ??? is it a joke ??? where are the hackers here ? those who should have secured those data nodes that the sites are??? I hope that behind, some new strategy is at work ... what about netizenship ? about the idea of taking care of some part of the big-hole-buch-of-data by everyone of us by sharing some HD and bandwith with P2P strategies like bitorrent could let think about ? Democracy is now clearly defied in it's core : the freedom of press and the freedom of speech, as well as intellectual property. FBI is in the shit ... Complaints from outside US jaynicks 09.Oct.2004 04:11 Inside the US people should send a WTFIGO (what the f*ck is going on) message to their congressperson or senator as above. Outside the US send by going to Colin Powelll's email, sort of, at the State cepartment, http://contact-us.state.gov/ask_form_cat/ask_form_secretary.html Send them in any language. Americans are not all like that americangal 09.Oct.2004 05:27 OK not all Ameicans are high on themselves and please stop thinking that we are all like Bush. A lot of us are getting sick of that. we don't necesarilly have to agree with what Bush says or does. What the FBI did was wrong. I totally agree with freedom of speech and freedom of press. Frankly I find myself looking at other news areas including this to see what really is going on because Bush does have a hold on the American media. indymedia servers seized Gloria Fortier 09.Oct.2004 16:21 I as a member of the global community and I am outraged by this total disregard of our citizen's rights. The perpetrators responsible for the seizer of the servers must be punished to the full extent possible. Let's unite and send a clear message back to the perpetrators that their actions will not go unpunished. Who issued subpoena and search warrants? K. Hammond 09.Oct.2004 17:08 What judge ordered this search warrant? Out of what federal court? Do you have photos of the seizure? Can you post a scanned in version of the warrant, as it is a public document? FBI must be resisted Daniel C. Boyer 09.Oct.2004 19:33 The FBI, clearly acting in every respect, in this case, as a secret police agency, and now with extraterritorial sweep, must be resisted with all possible means (all possible means must include, but is not limited to, the dissemination of information about the seizure by the widest available channels) when they conduct such blatantly illegal activities destroying the free flow of information that is the bedrock of, and indispensible basis upon which, all liberty is founded. On an " information diet, " such as the FBI would impose, the notion of " freedom " is utterly meaningless, and when the acts themselves are protected by gag orders, it is impossible to distinguish such acts from those that would set, have set, into motion the most ruthless dictatorships of history. Without the light cast by the transit of ideas, expressed in words, expressed in pictures, expressed by the printing press, at the ends of markers and pencils, and carried by the electrons of the World Wide Web, the smothering night that now more than ever is enveloping the United States is empowered to descend. No news is no news Jules 09.Oct.2004 20:45 Fascinating - this story hasn't appeared in even the liberal media in the UK (well, OK, it's not been in the Guardian) but it really highlights to me about how (in the UK) the debate about national sovereignty is so focused on Europe and the EU, that they are missing the backdoor we've given to the US - if it's true that it's the Italian's that would be hilarious - might actually focus attention on the real dangers to UK 'Independence' Thank You F.B.I. !!! T K Wilson 10.Oct.2004 00:50 I'd just like to thank the bumbling fascists at the FBI for doing their part to rip our constitution to shreds. Such finesse, such savoir faire. Apparently there are not enough " terrorists " (sic) to keep you busy. This is both good and bad news; good because terrorism is a bad thing, bad because now you must have time to terrorize us. Keep up the good work boys and girls; we should have a revolution on our hands before you know it. I'd venture to guess your approach is not accidental. As for the alternative press; Any of you socialist pinheads ever hear " don't keep all your eggs in one basket " ? (FYI; This site linked from http://www.SierraTimes.com/alert.htm You never know who your friends really are do you?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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