John Kerry stands by as UF student is tasered for asking a question

This outrage cannot go without comment. Please contact the University of Florida Police Department to tell them the officers should be relieved of their duties.


Is freedom of speech a crime already? Tell them NO!

The University of Florida Police Department
Building 51, Museum Road
P.O. Box 112150
Gainesville, Florida 32611-2150
phone: (352) 392-1111
fax: (352) 392-0539
email:  updinfo@admin.ufl.edu


See the video accounts here:
 http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/26912#comment


 http://openyourmindseye.blogspot.com/2007/09/stormtroopers-arrest-terroist-for.html

I have copied some information and links to this topic on my blog page "The Zebra3 Report"

 link to zebra3report.tripod.com

The rampant ABUSE of tasers and stun guns is out of control
Police use these tools to make people comply, when they were intended to be used in lieu of using Lethal Force

To:
(  updinfo@admin.ufl.edu )
( The University of Florida Police Department )


I am shocked & outrage of how the speaker was dealt with at the Kerry Event

It is all over the Internet



How shameful - Remember this is still America

The police were out of control

The only "riot" or "violence" came from the Police there to keep the peace at the event?



I will be reviewing this and the "abuse of taser's" on your campus (and others) more in the next few days

I urge you to try and rectify the damage that was done by the police there on your University campus



Shooting student with a taser because they speak up about questions on election fraud and wanting honest government?

I am very displeased and upset

I have reposted the video on various news outlets and am writing everyone I know to try and stop this type of ABUSE!



And am demanding you deal with the out of hand police actions that took place on your property



An apology and the "removal of taser's on University campus is very much needed"

This is not to be treated lightly



And one more issue that STINKS... . putting uniformed sops by the podium?

What was that all about?

Like I said this is America... . are you encouraging violence and censorship?

Are you instilling fear to speak openly and freely?



I am anxious for your reply.

Are your encouraging fear (police by podium) and encouraging stifling of speech to our Congressmen?



This was a very botched "security problem"

The student was brave and outspoken... that in its self is not a crime nor should be treated like he was doing anything "serious" wrong

The fact that a taser was used on him is outrageous and shameful

Your University better make amends and quickly ... .. your strong handed tactics is branded with the name of "your" University and the world is watching



I demand as a citizen that you stop tasering students that want an HONEST government and who are speaking publicly about honesty

I demand your University apologize

I demand the Police be fired and or replaced IMMEDIATLY

I demand you take the damn taser's off your campus NOW!



I am awaiting your reply

~ joe anybody

 http://video.nbc6.net/player/?id=157250

In case you missed it, just a few days ago, Rev. Lennox Yearwood (wearing a minister's collar and garb) was tackled and had his leg broken waiting in line to hear Gen. Petraeus's report to congress. Watch the video here:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiradcejA6o

And watch Rev. Yearwood's powerful, inspiring response here:
"Arrest Bush, not Rev!"
 link to video.google.com

It's time to arrest the criminals who have taken over this country. Take your cue from Rev. Yearwood. Let us not be intimidated. The first ammendment is ours to defend. Power to the People!

Senator Kerry,

I could not be more DISGUSTED after seeing the incident. Why did you not interfere more strongly!You are a veteran for God's sake. You can handle the cops!!
Thanks for the reminder that we lost our freedom of speech!
SHAME ON YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE P0LICE STATE!

Just imagine what would have happened had you commanded your security guards to get the young man on stage with you where you could have answered his questions and kept him safe!!
Oh well,it's not your first lost opportunity and it won't be your last.

Kerry DID interfere strongly.

By telling everybody to "stay calm," he distracted and intimidated the crowd into doing nothing to stop the cops from torturing this guy.

"In 37 years of public appearances, through wars, protests and highly emotional events, I have never had a dialogue end this way. I believe I could have handled the situation without interruption, but again I do not know what warnings or other exchanges transpired between the young man and the police prior to his barging to the front of the line and their intervention. I asked the police to allow me to answer the question and was in the process of answering him when he was taken into custody. I was not aware that a taser was used until after I left the building. I hope that neither the student nor any of the police were injured. I regret enormously that a good healthy discussion was interrupted."

Below is the content I recieved today as a UF Alum. Florida has certainly changed a lot in the 14 years since I fled as an environmental and political refugee, doesn't seem like it has been for the better. While I don't really agree with Kerry, it doesn't seem like what happened was in his control as a visiting speaker.

Here's what the President sent:

To students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends:

I have received a great deal of communication and input last night and this morning regarding the incident that occurred Monday at the conclusion of a town hall forum being held by Sen. John Kerry. The incident resulted in a student being tasered.

We are interested in learning what happened and are taking the following immediate steps to ensure the university utilizes best practice protocols:
University of Florida Police Chief Linda Stump has requested the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conduct a formal investigation into the arrest of UF student Andrew Meyer. An independent review such as this will make sure the results are objective and impartial. Chief Stump's priority is to ensure that the public remains confident in the department's ability to keep the campus safe.
Two officers involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
We plan to assemble a panel of faculty and students to review our police protocols, our management practices and the FDLE report to come up with a series of recommendations for the university.
Administrators and police officials plan to analyze the incident and conduct an internal review and will consider changing protocols in response to this incident, if necessary.
Finally, as is standard procedure, the State Attorney's Office will review the charges brought against Mr. Meyer. We have communicated with the State Attorney and understand he plans to expedite his review.
I will talk about the incident and answer questions at a news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. in Emerson Alumni Hall.
J. Bernard Machen

In the video posted at Rawstory, at the very end John Kerry can be heard saying into the microphone, "Unfortunately he won't be able to come up here and swear me in as president," making fun of the student's question about the stolen 2004 election. Pretty sick, Kerry. I wonder if he told jokes about the gooks he killed in Vietnam.

That poor college student got the answer to his question while being tazed, Kerry did not fight for the win,nor did Kerry jump his skinny ketchup ass off the stage and go stop what was happening !!! Nor stand up for a fellow American.He had the Power to do so !!!! if he thought answering the question was important...then maybe keeping the questionee alive to hear the answer might be a real good idea !!!!

Their are no stupid questions (so I've been told) only stupid answers
I hope those cops and the school officials get fired.
If you look real close in one video I saw, I saw a tall (school official ? in a suit ) standing behind the female cop whom leaned down and said something to her, and she then tried to stop the kid from talking

I hope he gets a great lawyer!!!! Maybe the ACLU

Below is the letter that was quickly posted on the University of Florida webpage. I encourage all to contact H/R to demand the officers be fired:  human-resources@ufl.edu



To students, faculty, staff:

I have received a great deal of communication and input last night and this morning regarding the incident that occurred Monday at the conclusion of a town hall forum being held by Sen. John Kerry. The incident resulted in a student being tasered.

We are interested in learning what happened and are taking the following immediate steps to ensure the university utilizes best practice protocols.

University of Florida Police Chief Linda Stump has requested the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conduct a formal investigation into the arrest of UF student Andrew Meyer. An independent review such as this will make sure the results are objective and impartial. Chief Stump's priority is to ensure that the public remains confident in the department's ability to keep the campus safe.

Two officers involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

We plan to assemble a panel of faculty and students to review our police protocols, our management practices and the FDLE report to come up with a series of recommendations for the university.

Administrators and police officials plan to analyze the incident and conduct an internal review and will consider changing protocols in response to this incident, if necessary.

Finally, as is standard procedure, the State Attorney's Office will review the charges brought against Mr. Meyer. We have communicated with the State Attorney and understand he plans to expedite his review.

I will talk about the incident and answer questions at a news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. in Emerson Alumni Hall.

Sincerely,

J. Bernard Machen

Student Tasered for Armed Madhouse Question to Kerry
Published September 18th, 2007
by Greg Palast

"[Palast] said you won the 2004 election - isn't that amazing?
There were multiple reports of disenfranchising of Black voters on the day of the election in 2004 in Florida and Ohio. ... How could you concede the election on the day?"


We warned you: 'Armed Madhouse' is a dangerous book. Yesterday, Andrew Meyer, a University of Florida student was(Andrew Stanfill / Alligator Staff) attacked by five cops, zapped with tasers and arrested after demanding that Senator John Kerry answer the question.

Meyers, just released from jail and now facing five years in prison for resisting arrest, held up a copy of the book and began,

Student to John Kerry: "I want to recommend a book to you. It's called 'Armed Madhouse by Greg Palast.' He's the top investigative journalist in America."

Kerry: "I have the book. I've already read it."

Student: "... In this book, it says there were 5 million votes and you won the election. ... How could you concede the election on the day?"(Andrew Stanfill / Alligator Staff)

Meyers, a telecommunications student at the Gainesville campus, asked related questions including a query as to why Kerry refused to vote for impeachment. When he passed his alloted one minute mic time, five cops jumped him, threw him to the ground, shot him with taser shockers.

Kerry, true to character, stood immobile.

Now, I've given many talks. And some questioners have taken too long at the mic. But I've never done the Stalin thing of cops and electronic beating to limit the discussion. (Yes, it's true that Randi Rhodes recently threatened me with a taser when I've monopolized the mic in her studio.)

The Washington Post reported only that Meyers was holding a "mysterious yellow book." VERY mysterious.

I would note that enchained student was busted in Alachua County, Florida, where, six years ago, I uncovered massive, systematic and utterly illegal disenfranchisement of Black voters - ordered by Gov. Jeb Bush's office just before the 2000 election. ("Florida's Disappeared Voters," February 2001, The Nation.) Alachua remains under federal scrutiny for its long history of racial bias against Black voters.

I must admit I feel some appreciation for Meyers, especially because, even while he was being shot with untold amps of electricity, until he was handcuffed, he would not let go of his mysterious yellow book, 'Armed Madhouse.'

Hear the update live tonight on the new "Palast Report" on Air America Radio. The Palast Report will now broadcast every Tuesday night, at 9:30pm, on Richard Greene's new weeknight show, "Clout."

 http://www.gregpalast.com/student-tasered-for-armed-madhouse-question-to-kerry/

Read the excerpt from Armed Madhouse that Andrew Meyer's got arrested for mentioning here:
 link to www.gregpalast.com

From what I've heard, there were 19 cops involved in this incident.

It takes 19 cops and tasers to handle one averaged size college student armed with a Greg Palast book?

Nothing more than a bunch of fucking cowards.

But what's worse are the hundreds of other people who were sitting on their hands nearby and who did nothing while the storm troopers swooped in.

WTF is up with that?

If they had beat and killed this guy on the spot in front of everyone, would even a single person had lifted a finger to help?

Video of student being tasered by amerika's brownshirts
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IATPoHdpak0

Now I see why the book is called "Armed Madhouse"

** Sidenote ** I have Greg's "Armed Madhouse in an Audio Book format and will provide anyone a copy who wants to hear it (email me)

** Link to previous ** "Armed Madhouse" Indy post
 http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/04/358322.shtml?discuss

The media is all over the student because he has been known to create 'practical jokes'. The questions the media are asking have to do with the supposed <motivations> of this student, not the fact that WHATEVER the motivation, his right to Freedom of Speech was denied and he was dragged out of a public forum because he stood up and asked some pointed questions. I heard one interviewer ask a friend of this young man if he thought this was a play for attention. "He had cameras running." Hey! we all have cameras running now whenever we can because you just never know when the police state is going to break out all over you or your fellow citizens. It is a good thing this made it to film. We have a lot of questions and the only answers we are getting are at the end of tasers...or worse.

You see this all the time on TV; Cops, "Disorderly Conduct," and other shows of the like. The police are arresting someone who isn't complying, and the cops get tired of waiting so they taser the suspect. These are not tools for apprehending non-violent citizens. Tasers are meant to be used in situations where the officers' safety is being jeopardized, in place of lethal force. Not because the officer is bored and has better things to do (which they usually do).

These officers should be charged with assault.

The first clip I saw of this was only about a minute long, showing the arrest of Mr. Meyers. After watching the full video, you see the bullshit charges the cops cite him for: "Inciting a riot." after which Meyer declares repeatedly that he fears for his life. I would spit in that cop's face.

Hopefully those protesters in Florida get those officers fired.

There is talk of Andrew Meyer being a willing or unwilling part of a psy-op, designed to make the sheeple equate that standing and speaking up will result in pain and humiliation. Sounds pretty far fetched to me too. Then I got to remembering that before the Kennedy assassination, there was at least one university campus in Florida that had CIA paramilitary training for the Bay of Pigs right on the grounds. What kind of learning institution would allow this activity? One that had higher ups willing to let Allen Dulles and his boys play their games in the one spot nobody would think to look. Skull & Bones has members past and present in the intelligence game and the Andrew meyer website has links to the 9/11 truth movements current darling; "9/11 Mysteries". The key manipulators at places like the Tavistock institute know we can be trained like a mouse in a maze, and will react accordingly. Stick your neck out and get the cattle prod. Fox news actually says he deserved it. Andrew Meyer was known as a prankster and someone likely to speak out at an event like this and then there is the fact that the microphone he was speaking at had campus police standing directly behind it. More psy-op? You are being watched, ask the wrong question and get the shock of your life. This may be a bunch of bullshit, myself and the others looking at this could be way out to lunch, but I do know these guys wish to quell dissent with mind games and they spend billions on planted stories, and have key players in both media and intelligence, ready to use techniques just like these to mold the collective mind of the sheeple. Worth a closer look?

the kid was being nasty/rude and at a school like UF this comes as no shock.

See 3rd post above for my letter to the UFPD:

Below is the email I recieved in response to my letter to them::

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and concerns with our agency. I have made a formal request of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to review this use of force action. I have full confidence in their ability to objectively investigate this incident.

As a professional organization, it is important that we remain open to and encourage feedback from the community we serve. Once this investigative process is complete, we will take everything into consideration as we move forward with our analysis and reviews of protocols and procedures.

Again, thank you for your comments.

Chief Linda J. Stump
University of Florida Police Dept.
51 Museum Road
PO Box 112150
Gainesville, FL 32611-2150
(352)392-5445
(352) 392-0539 Fax
 lstump@ufl.edu