isis_rising

The last couple days have been a whirlwind of emotion and concern for me. Saturday night, I was on the guest list and was supposed to bring my video camera to film a rave some good friends of mine were throwing. I taped the event, Versus, last year with my friend Jeff, and the promoter wanted to do the same thing again just for fun. It turned out I had to work that night, and since the party was kind of far away, out in Utah County, I didn't really think twice about it until I heard the news that the rave had been busted. Soon after, it became apparent that SERIOUS SHIT had gone down. Still, I thought to myself, the kids who had been arrested probably had drugs on them. I heard that a couple of the security guards had been busted with drugs, which raised my eyebrows. The security at these events is always the same crew, everyone knows them, and at least one, a really good friend of mine, is Straight Edge. I now understand that the police had no right to do what they did, to anyone. Jeff's friend James was amazing, and ended up making off with one camera with pictures of the attacks as well as Jeff's video. When I first saw the video online I didn't even know it was Jeff. Jeff is an awesome guy, and one of the happiest hippies and all-around nicest people I know. This didn't deserve to happen to anyone involved and nobody attacked any police. I know that for a fact because I know most of the people involved and I know they aren't violent or stupid.
Let me tell you what would have happened to me if I had been at that event filming with Jeff. I would have been up near the stage with my camera trained on Alisha, Paul, and Jessica (the ones shown being attacked in the video). Or I would have been standing around with Jeff discussing what was going on. I might have filmed Jeff getting sacked by three SWAT officers and charged for disorderly conduct, or since I would have had a camera and probably would have tried to save his camera as well, I would have had my camera stolen, been beaten needlessly, and thrown in jail with everyone else. One call to someone at work to get my shift covered and I would have been up there with everyone else. Thank god I'm broke lately. But the fact that my ass was saved doesn't help everyone else in this.
Yesterday I spent hours collecting interviews from those involved, and trying to think of ways to keep everyone mobilized somehow. Passed out at 4am after trying to help Jeff and Steezo edit security guard footage, woke up at 7 and they were finished. Security video is up now.
The last thing we want to do is jeopardize this case in any way, and right now the suit is looking pretty fucking good. Brian Barnard of the ACLU has apparently taken the case. In the meantime, the last person in jail got out today and is going to get pictures taken of all his bruises (they're STILL visible!).
If you don't believe the cop punches Alisha in that video, you should see what she normally looks like as opposed to her very unhappy mug shot. Oh, and if you believe the cops that there were no dogs and no stun guns, you're stupid. You can see the stun flashes and their laser sights, and you yourself can hear the dogs in the footage. Now the sheriff's office is on the defensive and is telling the media that people received bruises not from excessive force, but from a mosh pit at the rave.
Words cannot express how frustrating this shit is.
Tell me when exactly it was that Jeff displayed disorderly conduct, if you can: http://www.music-versus-guns.org