This is the list of IMC sites down: ambazonia, uruguay, andorra, pl, wmass, radio.uk, antwerpen nice, nantes, lilles, euskalherria, liege, oost-vlaanderen, belgrade, wvl, portugal, prague, brasil, italy, germany

Press Release

7 October 2004

FBI Seizes IMC Servers in the UK

US authorities issued a federal order to Rackspace's office in the US ordering them to provide Indymedia's hardware located in London to the requesting agency. Rackspace is one of Indymedia's web hosting providers with offices in the US and London. Rackspace complied, without first notifying Indymedia, and turned over Indymedia's server in the UK. This affects some 20+ Indymedia sites worldwide.

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 a second 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.

End press release

Almost all were outside the US - maybe this has nothing to do with RNC. Besides, it shouldn't matter - IMC doesn't record IP addresses anyway, right? Right? Spud?

I know IMCs don't record IP, and, you're right, these are all outside US, so they're nothing to do with RNC protests

How dare they take the disks from UK servers. No reasons put forth, no crime against British law mentioned.

Disgusts me.

Over the past couple of months, New York City has opened a gulag for political dissenters, the Defense Department has deployed a spy blimp over Washington, DC, and federal agents have raided and shut down (at least) two radio stations, one in California and one in North Carolina.

Now, Indymedia's harddrives have been seized by the FBI. Could this be the beginning of the FBI's so-called "October Plan"? Is the fascist take-over at hand?

I have long said that if the fascist take-over really takes root, Indymedia will be the first to go. The IMCs are the best and sometimes only source of information regarding protests and direct action. If Bush were to steal the election, Indymedia would be an invaluable resource for calling and coordinating civil disobedience and direct action.

Over the next month, I worry that our worst fears might be coming true. I hope not, but it is hard to deny reality.

that's coming up shortly...

it could be related to a great many things, the bottom lune is that no one really knows.

the important thing, though, is that this is the fourth FBI-IMC incident in the past MONTH. this is a level of US Gvmt harassment that is unprecedented:

From the press release: "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."

The FBI just doesn't randomly decide to start to devote this ammount of money and time to one organization unless they've got something big planned. I have a bad feeling about this.

see this slashdot discussion

 http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/04/10/07/204217.shtml?tid=153&tid=219

dont go here:  http://factcheck.com

or here:  http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/mtoups/nantes/copsinnantes.htm

uiuiuiuiui

 http://www.havenco.com/

Ever heard of The Project for the New American Century?

The fundamental essence of PNAC's ideology can be found in a White Paper
produced in September of 2000 entitled "Rebuilding America's Defenses:
Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century." In it, PNAC outlines
what is required of America to create the global empire they envision.
According to PNAC, America must:


what is required of America to create the global empire they envision.
According to PNAC, America must:
* Reposition permanently based forces to Southern Europe, Southeast Asia
and the Middle East;
* Modernize U.S. forces, including enhancing our fighter aircraft,
submarine and surface fleet capabilities;
* Develop and deploy a global missile defense system, and develop a
strategic dominance of space;
* Control the "International Commons" of cyberspace;
* Increase defense spending to a minimum of 3.8 percent of gross domestic
product, up from the 3 percent currently spent."

FBI took the hard drives of IMC servers in the UK

The FBI issued an order to Rackspace in the US (Indymedia’s provider with offices in the US and London) to remove physically one of our servers. The order was so short term that Rackspace had to give away our hard drives in the UK. The servers hosted numerous local IMCs. If you find a site is down: that might be the reason

The servers "ahimsa 2" have the following Indymedias: Nantes, Belgrade, Liege, Oost-Vlaanderen, Andorra, Euskalherria, Lille, Nice, the U.K., Poland, Uruguay, Italy, Ammazonia, Brasil, Portugal, WVL, Prague, Marseilles, Galiza,...

Indy Nantes had some problems after the passage of one article whith the photos of 2 Swiss police officers catches during manif anti G8 2003. The Swiss ask for help to the FBI:

See the article of Indy Nantes here:
 http://bellaciao.org/fr/article.php3?id_article=9774

Bellaciao Collective:  http://bellaciao.org/en/

All free speech is coming to an end , sadly. Internet will be for commercial, marketing and propaganda purposes only. We let this happen to ourselves by being asleep at the switch since the 1980s.

Naah ... The Internet is *CREATING* free speech.

In another 10-20 years, the Internet is going to bust up all of the monopoly media and replace them.

The murder of Genova was more than just a murder - it was a psy-op operation based on a manufactured photo, meant to let the opposition understand that a new era (the police state) started :
 http://matt-marriott.faithweb.com/opposition/global_protest.html

Notice that in the US the photo of the "rescue" of Elian was staged with the same purpose (among other things)
 http://matt-marriott.faithweb.com/elian_e.html

Many people didn't get the message and as late as 2004 there were still peaceful demonstrators marching against the Davos Economic Forum.
The international police force sealed the whole area leading to the Davos valley.
As the demonstrators marched in Chur (about 40 miles from Davos) they prepared the trap in the train station of Landquart.
Preparing the stage for the showdown included cutting the canton of Grisons, largest of Switzerland, from the rest of the country, at Landquart, from 2 P.M. on.

As the demonstrators's trains reached Landquart, at 4 P.M., on their way back to Zürich, something not seen in Switzerland since the 1930ies, as unemployed were murdered while demonstrating in the streets, happened again.

Would there be a Davos 2005, there would be no more peaceful demonstrators marching against Davos in the canton of Grisons.
Check here why there will probably be no Davos 2005 :
 http://www.goldismoney.info/forums/showthread.php?t=13571

I agree with above post, and Internet is also going to bring democracy to nations that are not free. Free flow of ideas is powerful.

Authorities will always have the power to do what they did to Indy, but I think this is isolated, and who knows what prompted them to do it. I don't., but I could think of a few examples that would warrant such an act. As has always been true, with freedom comes responsibility.

This is why the FBI shut down parts of Indymedia

CCNWON/Various 08 Oct 2004 01:54 GMT

Apparently the Swiss police complained to the FBI regarding some photos posted on Indy.


 http://mparent7777.blog-city.com/read/852542.htm



FBI seizes Global Indymedia Servers. Reasons Unknown

Could this be why?: FBI doesn't like a post on Nantes: Nantes is offline

Message for Rackspace

Nante archives relatinfg to the current FBI situation

Indymedia Server Raided by FBI

Indymedia reports FBI ordered their UK ISP to hand over hosting hardware


FBI took the hard drives of IMC servers in the USA and the UK

.

ALERT: FBI Seize Indymedia Servers in the US + UK


Alternate link: FBI took the hard drives of IMC servers in the UK

Alternate link: FBI took the hard drives of IMC servers in the USA and the UK



Indymedia UK is definitely offline.




This is a Babelfish machine translation:


The FBI seizes Indymedia


October 2004 -- To the 18 approximately, the FBI has been introduced near the Rackspace, the company near which resides the serveur that accommodates many situated premises of Indymedia, between which www.italy.indymedia.org. The agents have demanded the seizure of the two blot loads and have expected the delivery of discs, carrying them therefore via. Currently not to there to are ulterior information, not even on the reasons that have carried to this operation. Indymedia is in wait to return on-linens with one machine of reservoir, having currently lost to lot of the present material on the Indymedia. For ulterior information it does not remain that to address via mail to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - www.fbi.gov -. verrano On total Indymedia publishes the modernizations and the developments to you of the houses.  redazione@reporterassociati.org
__________________________________
The original in italian
L'FBI sequestra Indymedia

Giovedì 07 Ottobre 2004 -- Alle 18 circa, l'FBI si è presentata presso la Rackspace, l'azienda presso la quale risiedono i server che ospitano molti siti locali di Indymedia, fra cui www.italy.indymedia.org. Gli agenti hanno richiesto il sequestro delle due macchine ed hanno preteso la consegna dei dischi, portandoseli quindi via. Attualmente non vi sono informazioni ulteriori, nemmeno sui motivi che hanno portato a questa operazione. Indymedia è in attesa di tornare on-line con una macchina di riserva, avendo attualmente perso molto del materiale presente sugli Indymedia. Per ulteriori informazioni non resta che rivolgersi via mail al Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - www.fbi.gov -.
Su Indymedia globale verrano pubblicati gli aggiornamenti e gli sviluppi del caso.
 redazione@reporterassociati.org




Indymedia Italy is definitely offline.
Flashback: Indymedia Italy under attack
Flashback:INDYMEDIA ITALY PRESS STATEMENT

 http://mparent7777.blog-city.com/read/852542.htm

[article.homepage.prefix]:  http://mparent7777.blog-city.com/

"Naah ... The Internet is *CREATING* free speech.

In another 10-20 years, the Internet is going to bust up all of the monopoly media and replace them. "

On major problem with that theory...we all depend on commercial for-profit companies to provide internet access...

Not that this can't be overcome but we don't really "own" the internet at this stage, the corporations who own the fiber and the satellites etc. do...so if we ever really threaten capitalism these guys will crackdown with or without government help...

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.php3%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.

Posting the photos of undercover police endangers their lives. It's a bad plan people. The police are there to protect the 99% of us againts a 1% fringe - and YOU are likely not of that fringe - even though you may think you are.

too bad no one had time to disable the motherboards.
this is a reason to be prepared if something like this should happen again somewhere else.

NewsHound, I find an anonymous posting about serving papers unconvincing, and they weren't on the IMC sites down list.

Apparently Reality is still checked out:
"I bet anything the government had good reason."
He says that about everything.

As for the international angle, let's not forget that the FBI has been operating in the mid-east (and elsewhere) for some time. This current cross border action should not be surprising.

But thanks for the link to slashdot's discussion, some of those guys make these posters look cool and collected. And, of course, thanks to indymedia for being you. The interesting part will be how widely this story get's noticed. Think Ms. Goodman will notice? Or Truthout.org?

Let's see, why would the FBI seize the hard disks of a server other than that of Boston IndyMedia if this had to do with posts on Boston IndyMedia? This is completely illogical.

Conclusion: the poster "Newshound" is KOBE and this is another harassment post against DeVoy.

Nantes (France) IMC


original posting:  http://nantes.indymedia.org/article.php3?id_article=3910

dated Wed 8 September 2004

mirror (still works)
 http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/mtoups/nantes/copsinnantes.htm

Translation of text accompanying images of undercover officers

Photos of 2 cops in the anti-G8 cell

Geneva post-G8: videos, photos and testimony; everything helps on the trail of the rioters. A meticulous effort today to pursued by two detectives, who have made 200 arrests so far.

The [anti] G8 cell was nevertheless disbanded in December 2003. It has returned to service, much smaller: two detectives.

These detectives views films and photos received from informers and colleagues.

They go to demonstrations in Geneva where they hope to find "rioters."

Moreover, they take new photos in order to perhaps constitute a database of photos of activists susceptible of being future rioters in future riots in Geneva.

As one of the 2 detectives said: "I have seen two of my colleages lynched during anti-WTO demonstrations, in 1998. I will never forget it."

Perhaps there are other things that this detective will never forget. Because revenge is a dish best served cold.

William River Pitts is a media whore. He won't give IndyMedia's problems much notice. IndyMedia is a far better site than his jacked NYT echo chamber.... and that's coming from a Republican.

Might this have something to do with your publishing the hotel rooms of and other information about the RNC delegates, thus putting their lives at risk?

indymedia is free to tell true all over the world ..this is sooooo bad for our dictators liars !!!

forza indy

Was it KOBEHQ???

Its no hard to understand the FBI's actions.
They know that they dont have a case against IMC, so what they do instead is get a warrent on som bogus charge and do their best to disrupt IMC's services...

Pretty simple and easy tactic ....

What needs to happen is that the hard drive backups need to be sent to offsite storage in different countries so that even though a hard drive is confiscated, the data can be put back up on the web as soon as the FBI walks out the door.

It is silly for the FBI to initiate a game like this. A hard drive is simply a device. The data moves at the speed of light.

The Indy sites are NOT "all outside the U.S.". The WMass IMC used the UK server. We are down and have lost content.

I knew this was going to happen.

You had so many sites on one drive with no redundancy or mirroring of any type. That's just dumb.

What if instead of the FBI the harddrive just broke?! You'd still be screwed.

Now do you guys understand why offsite backups are actualy important?

If you had some you could just run down to the store by a new drive for $100 and copy over the sites from a tape backup but no...backups are for wimps right...no, backups are for professionals but whatever...

Yes, you're right, WMass IMC is down... do you know something about possible motivations of this FBI action, wmass ?

Some updates:

(16:10) Rackspace has issued the following comments:

I have been in contact with the regional director responsible for the federal order. He has stated that I can not provide any information regarding the order. I am going to follow up with our law enforcement liason to verify this, however.

Regards,

Jennifer O'Connell
Rackspace AUP

***

Unfortunately, we have received a federal order to provide your hardware to the requesting agency. We are complying at this time. Our datacenter technicians are building you a new server which will be online as soon as possible. Your account manager will notify you once the new server is online and available.

I apologize for abruptness of this. However, we are required to comply with all federal orders of this nature.

Please let us know if there is anything that we can do to make this easier on you.

Regards,

Jennifer O'Connell
AUP Administrator
Rackspace Managed Hosting

***

(16:45) The story has hit slashdot:

http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/04/10/07/204217.shtml?tid=153&tid=219

(16:55) Original photos are now available here:

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/mtoups/nantes/copsinnantes.htm

(October 8, 2004 -- 11:30) Additional information is being posted here: http://indymedia.org/en/static/fbi

putino: we have no idea. nothing on our site was all that threatening to the present players in DC, nothing that is beyond the usual send bush back to texas, later for nader, etc.

george bush (poppie) has not said much about "the new world order" lately.

"i don't try anything, i just do it." - White Zombie

I will be contacting my Congressman and both senators ASAP regarding this outrageous incident.

Oh Boy Kevin, the power is really surging through your veins now. (loser)

It is .like it was in 1933-1938 ,in Germany under Hitlers SS .

typically bushism,more of the same turning us into third world standards of non-democracy.

www.joevialls.co.uk
www.copvcia.com

The FBI is looking into a criminal act. By inciting and being a party to political violence you loose the goodwill of the people. You are no better than the people who publicized the names and addresses of civil rights workers in the South during the second reconstruction. If it gets much worse people will be killed and anyone wearing a black shirt will be seen as those who wore brown shirts in Germany in the 1930s.

Not in my name

Ted Sbardella

Listen to the Darpa comment. It only makes sense to shutdown non-corporate indy media before a stolen election in order to keep the truth from bubbling up.

The reason is known, but though it's probably not understood by your readers.

Yes the reason is unknowable, but the results are the same.

The US Gov is spreading the concept of a Police State, even protecting the elite, as they pilfer the last remnants of free capital from every corner of this earth. "Black-Ops," like Goss, 9/11 perps, et. al. should ALL be at the focus of our research.

blah, blah, blah. Nice rant. How about some variety, for example a fact or two.

"Posting the photos of undercover police endangers their lives"

Like pictures of the police who killed Carlo Giuliani? Like pictures of those torturing innocents in Abu Ghraib? Like posting pictures of Arabs on CNN which results in racist attacks on people of color? Like the pictures of the CIA murderers in Afghanistan?

If these cops were protecting the people, they would be upholding their right to free speech and assembly, instead of acting as thugs for the elite. No, it's simply called accountability.

www.stewartswerdlow.com
www.trance-formation.com
www.insidejob-911.com
www.911truth.org
www.infowars.com/resources.html
are you interested in the real terrorists...or do you wish to remain sleeping?

www.whatreallyhappened.com/cutter.html
www.prisonplanet.com/011904wtcv7.html
go figure........

As a UK citizen, I am wondering whether IndyMedia are considering prosecuting or suing RackSpace for giving your UK server HDDs to the FBI? Surely, it violates your contract with them and the Data Protection Act?

maybe we shouldn't rely on what the U.s military invented in the first place...the internet...it was first of all a military means of comms was it not....??just the same way a farmer designs sheep pens to keep the sheep fed healthy and happy but always controlling their movements....so you geddit yet?perhaps you should try less technological ways of communicating which the illuminati slaves can't control.....and instead of being trapped in their rigidly controlled mental illusion of "the free world" remember and mediatate upon what freedom truly is.....something like the freedom to think for yourselves without interference....???

www.copvcia.com
www.stewartswerdlow.com
www.trance-formation.com
www.joevialls.co.uk

His Assholiness George Warmonger Bush I to the Indymedia: "Sorry to Oil the Internet but Oil comes first."

Are u all getting the attention u so sorely need now?

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

nnnmmmfff duuuhhh nmmmmf urrrggg nnnnnnn
I fuck little kiddies and so's my dad senior dubya
www.trance-formation.com
www.trance-formation.com
I am pedofile beyond help and urrgh I'm not a human being....I fuck young assholes while my handlers press my buttons and pull my strings

Shame on you bush. you are trying to amBUSH freedom of expression.Have you read the first amendment to US constitution. All the world hates you.

Sci-Fi was twenty years early. It's 2004, not 1984.

If these sites can be taken down so easily...we need an alternative...namely a means of distributing the real news through multiple sources. This news needs distributing via a Peer-2-Peer news/forum/chat system...perhaps even piggy backing on existing Peer to peer networks....
1. Difficult to take down.
2. What excuse can you give to take it down? (a few, but they can be overcome).

The internet is one of the few lines of defense left...its needs to be utilized more.

[quote=sg]How dare they take the disks from UK servers. No reasons put forth, no crime against British law mentioned. Disgusts me. [/quote] Same here, they could at least give a reason, or it that too much to ask in this day and age?

I know IMCs don't record IP, and, you're right, these are all outside US, so they're nothing to do with RNC protests