Arrowwind
29th January 2013, 03:16
Full Article: http://stopsmartmeters.org/2013/01/27/naperville-police-force-smart-meters-arrest-two-mothers-community-reels-and-reacts/
Naperville Police Force Smart Meters- Arrest Two Mothers; Community Reels- and Reacts
Posted on January 27, 2013 (http://stopsmartmeters.org/2013/01/27/naperville-police-force-smart-meters-arrest-two-mothers-community-reels-and-reacts/) by onthelevelblog (http://stopsmartmeters.org/author/onthelevelblog/)
OAuQUf0RV7I (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAuQUf0RV7I&feature=player_embedded)
NAPERVILLE, IL- The deployment of the “smart grid” took a dark turn on Wednesday in Illinois, as residents in the City of Naperville (CON) woke up to the reality of ‘smart’ meters forced on their homes by police officers and municipal utility installers working together to intimidate- and in two cases arrest- residents who continue to refuse the meters and protect their homes. This follows CON’s FINAL NOTICE (http://napervillesmartmeterawareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/January2013FinalNoticeCON.png) to residents days before.
These developments would be unbelievable in and of themselves as flagrant violations of constitutional property rights. The fact that the meters emit a Class 2B carcinogen, have caused at least hundreds of fires, and clearly violate privacy laws including the 4th Amendment, not to mention that these facts are all at issue in an ongoing federal lawsuit (http://stopsmartmeters.org/2013/01/27/2011/12/31/federal-lawsuit-filed-against-city-of-naperville-illinois/) brought against the city by its own residents- makes these events all the more troubling.
New details are emerging about the CON’s installation “blitzkrieg” – backed up by armed police- that hit neighborhoods in this Illinois city of 150,000 people starting on Wednesday January 23rd. The forced installations have continued since then.
Residents told Stop Smart Meters! that the deployment happened very suddenly and unpredictably, using “shock and awe” (http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=naomi+klein+shock+doctrine&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.naomiklein.org%2Fshock-doctrine&ei=PfADUbPgJ4bSsga3j4CACA&usg=AFQjCNEs2Vu1ZKD_7mt0HOiRRQwaWyUEZA) tactics. All of a sudden, the whole street was filled with police and installation vehicles.
http://stopsmartmeters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Picture-23.png (http://stopsmartmeters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Picture-23.png)These UnAmerican Activities Must Be Stopped! NSMA members rally in Naperville last year
Two mothers- both community leaders working with Naperville Smart Meter Awareness (NSMA) (http://www.napervillesmartmeterawareness.org/)- Kim Bendis and Jennifer Stahl- were arrested simply for standing peacefully by Jennifer’s home in front of advancing officers and installers, telling them they did not have permission to install a smart meter on her property. Kim was arrested for trying to document this abuse of police force, an abuse further evidenced by the Naperville Police Department seizing her camera and SD chip.
Can’t have the world watching.
Luckily a Chicago CBS affiliate was there and caught the CON’s shameful acts on the evening news (http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/01/23/two-naperville-women-arrested-for-trying-to-block-smart-meters/). NSMA’s videos of the Naperville forced installs can be found at NSMA’s Youtube Channel. (http://www.youtube.com/user/NapervilleSmartMeter/videos?view=0)
Kim was charged with resisting arrest and “attempted eavesdropping” on officers. Both charges are ludicrous, and the eavesdropping charge is particularly ironic and twisted as that is precisely what the smart meter is intended to do to individual households’ privacy (http://bit.ly/hoKAwx).
The bully blaming the victim.
Jennifer was charged with interfering with an officer and violating Naperville city ordinance 8-1C-3:7 (http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=14853&stateId=13&stateName=Illinois) by blocking the meter. The two were released from police custody a couple of hours later. They both came home to find that smart meters had been installed on their homes.
The “attempted eavesdropping” charge is based on a controversial Illinois law that prohibits filming police officers in some circumstances. Forced smart meter installations are probably precisely the kind of police activity that this kind of law is intended to hide. It is being challenged by the Illinois ACLU (http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2012/12/judge-enters-permanent-order-allowing-recording-of-152651.html) and other civil liberty groups with some success. More here (http://www.blackradionetwork.com/aclu_sues_over_eavesdropping_law). Needless to say, the law is blatantly unconstitutional (http://www.photographyisnotacrime.com/).
In the US, if you can be there, you can photograph or video. The only exceptions to your right to photograph/video are on the premises of some US military sites, and the use of a high-power lens that intrudes on someone’s privacy. Trespassing is a separate issue, and you may be charged with it, or kicked off private property, but any photographs you took before being kicked off are legally yours. Know your rights. You can download wallet sized “photographer’s rights guides” here: Side 1 (http://stopsmartmeters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PhotographrsRights-US-side1-CARDS.doc) and Side 2 (http://stopsmartmeters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PhotographrsRights-US-side2-CARDS.doc).
We spoke with Jennifer and Kim yesterday, and they tell SSM! that the fight is not over. Instead of drawing the controversy to a close- as the CON might have hoped, the forced installations have just renewed NSMA’s commitment to secure a no-fee analog opt out. Their team of attorneys is working on this case from a number of angles and the Illinois ACLU (http://www.aclu-il.org/about/contact-us/) is monitoring developments. Widespread condemnation (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/01/24/woman-arrested-while-refusing-smart-meter-installation-on-her-property-tells-us-her-story/) has rained down upon Naperville in the last few days, and the incident has amplified opposition to “smart” meters internationally.
Naperville Police Force Smart Meters- Arrest Two Mothers; Community Reels- and Reacts
Posted on January 27, 2013 (http://stopsmartmeters.org/2013/01/27/naperville-police-force-smart-meters-arrest-two-mothers-community-reels-and-reacts/) by onthelevelblog (http://stopsmartmeters.org/author/onthelevelblog/)
OAuQUf0RV7I (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAuQUf0RV7I&feature=player_embedded)
NAPERVILLE, IL- The deployment of the “smart grid” took a dark turn on Wednesday in Illinois, as residents in the City of Naperville (CON) woke up to the reality of ‘smart’ meters forced on their homes by police officers and municipal utility installers working together to intimidate- and in two cases arrest- residents who continue to refuse the meters and protect their homes. This follows CON’s FINAL NOTICE (http://napervillesmartmeterawareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/January2013FinalNoticeCON.png) to residents days before.
These developments would be unbelievable in and of themselves as flagrant violations of constitutional property rights. The fact that the meters emit a Class 2B carcinogen, have caused at least hundreds of fires, and clearly violate privacy laws including the 4th Amendment, not to mention that these facts are all at issue in an ongoing federal lawsuit (http://stopsmartmeters.org/2013/01/27/2011/12/31/federal-lawsuit-filed-against-city-of-naperville-illinois/) brought against the city by its own residents- makes these events all the more troubling.
New details are emerging about the CON’s installation “blitzkrieg” – backed up by armed police- that hit neighborhoods in this Illinois city of 150,000 people starting on Wednesday January 23rd. The forced installations have continued since then.
Residents told Stop Smart Meters! that the deployment happened very suddenly and unpredictably, using “shock and awe” (http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=naomi+klein+shock+doctrine&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.naomiklein.org%2Fshock-doctrine&ei=PfADUbPgJ4bSsga3j4CACA&usg=AFQjCNEs2Vu1ZKD_7mt0HOiRRQwaWyUEZA) tactics. All of a sudden, the whole street was filled with police and installation vehicles.
http://stopsmartmeters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Picture-23.png (http://stopsmartmeters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Picture-23.png)These UnAmerican Activities Must Be Stopped! NSMA members rally in Naperville last year
Two mothers- both community leaders working with Naperville Smart Meter Awareness (NSMA) (http://www.napervillesmartmeterawareness.org/)- Kim Bendis and Jennifer Stahl- were arrested simply for standing peacefully by Jennifer’s home in front of advancing officers and installers, telling them they did not have permission to install a smart meter on her property. Kim was arrested for trying to document this abuse of police force, an abuse further evidenced by the Naperville Police Department seizing her camera and SD chip.
Can’t have the world watching.
Luckily a Chicago CBS affiliate was there and caught the CON’s shameful acts on the evening news (http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/01/23/two-naperville-women-arrested-for-trying-to-block-smart-meters/). NSMA’s videos of the Naperville forced installs can be found at NSMA’s Youtube Channel. (http://www.youtube.com/user/NapervilleSmartMeter/videos?view=0)
Kim was charged with resisting arrest and “attempted eavesdropping” on officers. Both charges are ludicrous, and the eavesdropping charge is particularly ironic and twisted as that is precisely what the smart meter is intended to do to individual households’ privacy (http://bit.ly/hoKAwx).
The bully blaming the victim.
Jennifer was charged with interfering with an officer and violating Naperville city ordinance 8-1C-3:7 (http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=14853&stateId=13&stateName=Illinois) by blocking the meter. The two were released from police custody a couple of hours later. They both came home to find that smart meters had been installed on their homes.
The “attempted eavesdropping” charge is based on a controversial Illinois law that prohibits filming police officers in some circumstances. Forced smart meter installations are probably precisely the kind of police activity that this kind of law is intended to hide. It is being challenged by the Illinois ACLU (http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2012/12/judge-enters-permanent-order-allowing-recording-of-152651.html) and other civil liberty groups with some success. More here (http://www.blackradionetwork.com/aclu_sues_over_eavesdropping_law). Needless to say, the law is blatantly unconstitutional (http://www.photographyisnotacrime.com/).
In the US, if you can be there, you can photograph or video. The only exceptions to your right to photograph/video are on the premises of some US military sites, and the use of a high-power lens that intrudes on someone’s privacy. Trespassing is a separate issue, and you may be charged with it, or kicked off private property, but any photographs you took before being kicked off are legally yours. Know your rights. You can download wallet sized “photographer’s rights guides” here: Side 1 (http://stopsmartmeters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PhotographrsRights-US-side1-CARDS.doc) and Side 2 (http://stopsmartmeters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PhotographrsRights-US-side2-CARDS.doc).
We spoke with Jennifer and Kim yesterday, and they tell SSM! that the fight is not over. Instead of drawing the controversy to a close- as the CON might have hoped, the forced installations have just renewed NSMA’s commitment to secure a no-fee analog opt out. Their team of attorneys is working on this case from a number of angles and the Illinois ACLU (http://www.aclu-il.org/about/contact-us/) is monitoring developments. Widespread condemnation (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/01/24/woman-arrested-while-refusing-smart-meter-installation-on-her-property-tells-us-her-story/) has rained down upon Naperville in the last few days, and the incident has amplified opposition to “smart” meters internationally.