[Imc] [Fwd: Human Rights Radio - Springfield]

[Mike Lehman]

A story with a local slant:

Dale Wertz wrote:
> 
>         From news release on the San Francisco Liberation Radio website
> <http://www.slip.net/~dove/SFLR_News_9-30-00.html> dated September 30:
> 
>         "Human Rights Radio in Springfield, Illinois has been shut down by
> the feds. An email sent out yesterday by long-time station supporter Mike
> Townsend indicates that the station was raided at 5:15 p.m. yesterday by
> a multi jurisdictional task force consisting of federal marshals,
> sheriff's deputies, city police and Federal Communications Commission
> (FCC) agents."
> 
>         [...]
> 
> dw
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 12:52:38 -0700 (PDT)
> From: barbara deutsch <undone at sirius.com>
> Reply-To: grc at PEAK.ORG
> To: grc at PEAK.ORG
> Subject: [grc] Can someone report on hearing in Springfield today?
> 
> Excerpts from San Francisco Liberation Radio's October 2nd newsletter:
> 
> In an interview with SFLR this morning, Mbanna Kantako, the founder of
> >Human Rights Radio and widely viewed as the father of the micro radio
> >movement, discussed how he, his wife, children and grandchildren were
> >ordered to remain in a single room of their Springfield, Illinois home
> >while officers ransacked the premises and walked away with tape decks, a
> >mixer, three VCRs, a computer and other items--and also trampled
> >numerous CDs which had spilled on the floor in the process.
> >
> >The 45 minute interview will air on the Atomic Lounge, tonight, at 9
> >p.m. on San Francisco Liberation Radio.
> >
> >"What the government displayed here in Springfield is what they do
> >everywhere, but they were as blatant as you can be," Kantako said.
> >
> >He added that so far not one word of the raid has been mentioned in the
> >Springfield corporate-owned media-despite the fact that Human Rights
> >Radio has been on the air in that city for 13 years.
> >
> >The raid was carried out under the pretext that the station was
> >interfering with air traffic radio frequencies. A federal judge issued a
> >temporary restraining order against the station last Friday morning, and
> >a second hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
> >
> >"They went through our house about a hundred times on these stupid
> >security sweeps, and we know all this drama is designed to scare people.
> >They were harassing our neighbors, made our neighbors go in the house,"
> >Kantako said.
> >
> >He quoted the judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Jenny Scott, as
> >saying that "you are not to broadcast anywhere within the borders of
> >this country because of the danger you pose."
> 
> >Kantako said the raid has galvanized the community in Springfield.
> >
> >"If they wanted to intimidate us or our friends and neighbors and stuff,
> >it had the exact opposite effect."
> >
> >He said the station plans to return to the airwaves as soon as new
> >equipment can be obtained.
> >
> >"We're putting together the pieces."
> >
> >Persons wishing to make donations to the station can contact Kantako at
> >217-789-0038. Or send checks to:
> >
> >Mbanna Kantako
> >1113 North 5th St.
> >Springfield, IL 62702
> 
> "SFLR broadcasts 7 afternoons and evenings per week, 4 p.m. - 11 p.m.,
> without government license-bringing you programs and information you
> can't get on government-licensed radio stations."
> 
> To subscribe to the SFLR newsletter, send a message to sflr at slip.net.
> 
> Visit SFLR Website at http://www.slip.net/~dove
> 
> Barbara Deutsch
> 1919 19th Street
> San Francisco 94107
> ph 415 641-7538
> facs   550-1470
> 
> e-mail undone at sirius.com
> 
> ###########################################################################
> This  majordomo list has been formed to continue discussion generated in
> the Madison GRC-5 conference.
> It is NOT moderated or censored, subscription is open, and anything
> posted by subscribers to grc at peak.org is mailed to the whole list, either
> as single posts or as several posts linked in numbered "digests".
> Posting is limited to subscribers; initial consensus is that news items
> do NOT belong unless they relate to the GRC mission.