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PRESS RELEASE: New Mexico Hosts White House Guests

rpcrew — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:00:28 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Email: rpcrew1 at gmail.com

NEW MEXICO HOSTS WHITE HOUSE GUESTS

Santa Fe National Forest, NM (July 31, 2009) - When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, a grassroots emergency relief effort was born out of dedicated volunteers with years of experience working at outdoor kitchens and medical stations at Rainbow gatherings. Their prompt mobilization to the Gulf Coast fully equipped with supplies, know-how and ingenuity tremendously helped victims survive and recover from one of America’s most epic disasters. Their accomplishments were recognized all the way to the highest level of government, the Bush administration’s White House. In May 2008, these intrepid volunteers accepted an invitation and attended a function in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building within the White House complex, where they were thanked for their work. Some of these same volunteers are currently enjoying their visit to this year’s Rainbow Gathering being held in New Mexico’s magnificent Santa Fe National Forest, now in its final phase of “clean-up.”

In late August 2005 when these skilled Rainbow gatherers saw people literally dying on television after the hurricane hit and no one was helping them, they sprung into action. Familiar with surviving quite well for extended time periods with no running water or electricity in the woods, they first headed to Waveland, MS – where there had been a 32-foot storm surge – and set up a huge relief center in the parking lot of Fred’s Department Store across the street from the Waveland Police Department. From there more Rainbow volunteers branched out to New Orleans and quickly built another center in Washington Park that ran simultaneously with the one in Waveland.

At both locations free kitchens, medical clinics and supply distribution areas operated without skipping a beat. Each center adhered to the their own strict sanitation specifications, thereby meeting the approval of their local Departments of Health. They treated hundreds of patients and pumped out thousands of meals a day, sometimes in 100 degree temperatures. The relief center in Waveland became the New Waveland Cafe, also known as the New Waveland Cafe and Clinic, and the center in New Orleans became the Welcome Home Cafe. Both cafes had makeshift stages so moods were uplifted with frequent live music in the air.

The New Waveland Cafe provided a children’s art space and even professional dance lessons. One of the first things the Welcome Home Cafe workers did upon their arrival was to clear the park’s playground of debris such as giant fallen trees. Children laughed and played in this newly safe, fun space provided just for them amidst the surrounding devastation that no child should ever see. This cafe was alive with activity. The New Orleans Jazz Vipers often performed there, volunteers ran an herbal tea stand, musician Ani DiFranco stopped by and visited and one day a drum corp marched through the park.

The storm victims were everyday Americans not used to receiving charity. They were so thankful and touched by the manner in which they were helped that they wanted to become part of the relief effort and began to pitch in at the cafes. They were transformed from helped to helpers, from victims to survivors. Their help was welcomed and appreciated.

The Rainbow volunteers also coordinated with numerous groups in their relief work including the Bastrop Christian Outreach Center, Organic Valley farms (the owner’s son was part of the New Waveland Cafe’s initial crew), the Common Ground Collective, Seeds of Peace, Barefoot Doctor’s Academy, Food Not Bombs, the local Teamsters Union and the Missouri National Guard. In addition, Rainbow volunteers set up two more relief efforts called Emergency Communities and the Rainbow Emergency Management Assembly.

Where were the governmental and mainstream relief agencies in all this? They were doing all they could, but it was obvious from day one that it wasn’t enough. Jenka Soderberg is a freelance journalist and occasional Free Speech Radio News reporter who traveled to New Orleans post-Katrina. She explained that all of the shelters within three hours of New Orleans were either shut down or full. Only one FEMA center was open to the public. Blackwater Security forces staffing the center outnumbered the FEMA workers about 5 to 1. The remaining FEMA centers were solely for their workers and contractors. Each of these centers displayed a sign that read “No public services available at this site / Authorized personnel only.”

Volunteers from the Red Cross constantly defected and joined the ranks of the grassroots led efforts. http://photos1.blogger.com/photoInclude/blogger/566/1507/1600/Tent%20Raising%202.jpg

“In an April interview with NPR, acting Red Cross Director Jack McGuire admitted the organization had made major mistakes after Katrina, including not reaching out to community groups that were doing some of the best work in the area. The organization promises to implement a ‘cultural shift’ that includes working more closely with grassroots organizations, a tack the institution has historically shied away from. Kay Wilkins, CEO of Red Cross’ Southeast Louisiana chapter, called Katrina ‘the great equalizer’ of relief organizations.” - Reason Magazine, Dec 2006.

Some governmental agencies harassed the cafes, saying they didn’t have “permission” to be there. Nonetheless, individuals from various law enforcement agencies would occasionally lend a hand in the kitchen. A Mississippi state trooper in full uniform was spotted chopping celery. One volunteer said that various other “mutiny magic manifested.” Soderberg noted, “We’ve had National Guard soldiers sneak supplies out of their warehouses so we could distribute them directly to people, we’ve had Amtrak police sneak ice for our clinic from their stash….so many many examples of people trying to get supplies to the people who need them — even if they have to defy orders from above in order to do it.”

FEMA and the Red Cross continuously struggled to provide adequate aid to the desperate storm victims. Soderberg revealed that these agencies reached a point in which they began “turning people away, sending them to our tiny organization, common ground, for help. Let me repeat this, because I just find it so astounding: FEMA AND THE RED CROSS ARE SENDING PEOPLE TO _US_ (Common Ground) FOR HELP.” - Jenka’s Journal, Nov 2, 2005.

The cafes’ operations reached their peak on the first Thanksgiving after the hurricane when the Welcome Home Cafe shared a huge feast and the New Waveland Cafe held a parade for the town. A film entitled, “Rainbow Family & Christians Unite to Give Hope after Katrina” captured a parade watcher’s heartfelt reaction: “All of these beautiful people from the Waveland Cafe and what they’ve given to us, we can never repay (tears up, happy tears). I know that Hancock County could not have made it without what they have done. And to give us this parade! (more joyous tears welling up)”. When asked if she’d ever had a parade like this before she rejoiced, “No and I think they’re fabulous! They’re the most beautiful people that there are!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3tT5F9ECpA

Out of the success of the Rainbow volunteers’ achievements, two well respected organizations were born and remain in operation to date. The Community Center of Saint Bernard is in New Orleans’ Saint Bernard Parish and assists survivors daily. http://www.ccstb.org/ The American Rainbow Rapid Response (ARRR) based in Asheville, NC transports, builds and runs mobile kitchens in newly disaster-ridden locations. http://americanrainbowrapidresponse.org/ In the years since Katrina, ARRR has provided aid to residents of such catastrophe-stricken areas as Houma, Louisiana after Hurricane Gustav, and to Wisconsin during their floods. It is set up with two kitchens to provide 15,000 or more nutritious, mostly organic meals a day and is ready to help out wherever the next natural disaster hits.

Gratitude graced these volunteers with amazing rewards. A volunteer named BW felt most appreciated when a high-ranking Waveland police officer thanked the Rainbow workers and gave them an open-ended invitation to return, saying that they were “welcome back any time.” This type of sincere recognition presented itself at all levels of authority.

Aaron Funk is an Arthur Murray dance instructor who has volunteered with the New Waveland Cafe and ARRR since their inceptions. In May 2008 the news came that the Bush administration was aware of their accomplishments when he received an official email from the White House office. It was an invitation that was sent to 100 faith based and community efforts. The beginning of it read: “Jay Hein, Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, invites you to attend the White House Compassion in Action Roundtable, ‘Partnerships in Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery: The Role of Faith-Based and Community Organizations in Building Resilient Communities.’” Funk thought it was a hoax and did not reply.

Funk received a personal email a week later from a “secretary of an Assistant to the President” with the same invitation. Funk called the White House and reached Evette, one of the President’s secretaries. He asked, “Are you sure you want US to be there?” Surprisingly she answered, and with immediacy. “Yes. Listen. We know that we are in an ivory tower. YOU guys are the man on the street and we NEED your input. You are the common man and we need to be in touch with that. Please come.” Funk accepted the invitation and Evette arranged for Funk to bring a friend, fellow volunteer Matthew Atwood.

By the month’s end Funk and Atwood found themselves inside the White House complex as part of National Hurricane Preparedness Week. A writeup by ARRR entitled “ARRR Responds to the White House” notes, “The entrance of the Deputy (Secretary Michael Chertoff, U.S. Department of Homeland Security) was something right out of a novel, rushed in from a side door, hurried and urgent. However, when he spoke, it was with calm assuring. Again with comments of praise and encouragement for the efforts of all in attendance.”

Funk reflected on the Rainbow volunteers’ work at the New Waveland Cafe. “It worked so well because we took a 100% neutral, positive and COOPERATIVE attitude towards every individual, organization or governmental official. We didn’t bring any political or religious agendas into the cafe.”

Volunteers for this year’s Rainbow Gathering in New Mexico made numerous attempts to cooperate with authorities; the latter had the power to take the higher ground and reciprocate with the same dignified behavior that Rainbow volunteers exhibit. Instead they chose to harass the peaceful attendees whose one united purpose in gathering is to pray for world peace. The gatherers still had a good time and considered the event a success.

The United States Forest Service (USFS) overestimated the Gathering population once again, attempting to make the event out to be a problem that needed to be dealt with. They frequently name the Rainbow gathering an “incident” in their documents. New Mexico news station KOAT-ABC took the bait for their first newscast on the coming Gathering. They reported it as a “potential threat” and “invasion,” and pictured these printed words zooming out from a document and magnifying them to fill viewers’ TV screens. The local residents’ initial “fears of the unknown” were squelched once they became familiar with the consistent kindness of Rainbow attendees visiting their region.

USFS officers drove over the water pipe at the start of the Gathering, causing interruption of water flow to camp. They said it was an accident. Near-daily checkpoints into and out of the Gathering were annoying, caused traffic backups and were illegal. http://www.drugpolicycases.com/opinions/opinion8.html The last roadblock was reported to have been on July 5th. Hundreds of early gatherers were ticketed mostly for minor traffic offenses like “dirty license plates.” They were ordered to make 240-mile round trips from the Gathering to court, and if they did not show up, federal warrants for “failure to appear” were issued for their arrest.

Some gatherers believed that the early-on heavy handed tactics of the USFS’s Incident Command Team officers within the Gathering were decreased by the arrival of US Marshals. However, US Marshals soon began arresting attendees with “failure to appear” warrants and removing them from the Gathering. They were then transported to Sandoval County Jail about 85 miles from the Gathering. There, gatherers arrested for offenses like “not wearing a seatbelt in the backseat of a car” typically spent 3-5 days in custody and were then released.

Rainbow gatherings differ from festivals largely because they have always been held in the woods. Volunteers work painstakingly to ensure that all motorized vehicles are kept at least a mile away from camp so the event has a safe and secure back-to-nature feel. It was reported that on July 3rd two USFS law enforcement SUVs blatantly and provocatively drove into the Gathering, parked in the lower meadow where they were visible to many people including those in several kitchens and camps in the meadow’s tree line. They were met by US Marshals and the local sheriff’s department who proceeded to just stand around. Witnesses gathered to keep an eye on things, since officers have a pattern of attempting to provoke gatherers, particularly on July 3rd. They were looking for a girl with a toy gun. The girl was found, the toy was not and they left.

Regardless, the Gathering forged ahead. It was a sight to be seen amongst the birches and pines. Recently at long-time Christian Rainbow kitchen Bread of Life, several of its crew have gotten married and have had children. This year at this child-friendly camp, they constructed a kiddie playground paradise featuring a merry-go-round that rotated atop a tree stump; monkey bars; a teeter totter and a screened-in arts and crafts area. Kid Village held their traditional fun Rock-n-Roll Spaghetti dinner on July 4th and New York’s Purple Gang kitchen had their always fabulous brunch on July 5th.

Now that the Gathering is over, clean-up has begun. A crew of Rainbow volunteers has stayed and is working to revitalize the land and “leave no trace” behind. One volunteer reports that daily rainstorms have soaked the earth; there is already green ground cover in all the high-use areas. Plants are growing back abundantly and are all native to that forest. The job is nearing completion. Rainbow gatherers are known to leave the woods they temporarily inhabit in better condition than it was in when they arrived; this has been so since the gathering’s inception in 1972.

Some Rainbow volunteers on this year’s clean-up crew in New Mexico were also part of the initial post-Katrina humanitarian response that operated with a mixture of ingredients – diligence, compassion, style, ease and most of all, love – all in the midst of the hurricane’s immense aftermath. These actions made history and earned Rainbow gatherers a trip inside the White House complex, a milestone that will be remembered forever.

Media advisory for getting to and around camp: Have all paperwork and be sure vehicles are in good repair. Have nothing on the dashboard or hanging from the rearview mirror. Keep windshields and license plates clean, especially when driving on unpaved roads. Obey all traffic laws, watch for stop signs, and use turn signals, especially at all unpaved intersections. Many gatherers love interacting with the media and will gladly be filmed. But in respect for people’s freedom of religious expression, it is requested that anyone taking photographs or film images ask permission from each individual to be included in the shot.

Directions to the Gathering (from Cuba, NM): Take State Road 126 east for 13 + miles to FS Road 103 on left, go 2 miles to FS Road 69 on left then drive 9 miles to where FS Road 69 meets FS Road 70.

For more information:

Notes in parentheses are snippets of video titles and are good search words for finding them online. Quotations help

2009 New Mexico Gathering footage:

Post-Katrina volunteer Heather Bee discusses New Waveland Cafe (“Cook Tells of Helping”)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfK12XaIv6w&feature=channel_page

Heather Bee explains Rainbow gathering clean-up procedures

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1021478.shtml

Clean-up crew at work (“2009 Rainbow Recycle”)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxqXr55PYUg

USFS clean-up report from 1995 New Mexico Gathering

http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/sites/nm95/fs/951103.nm.cleanup.htm

Unedited footage of USFS attempt to incite riot, July 3, 2007 at Arkansas Rainbow Gathering where five USFS law enforcement SUVs drove into main meadow, parked in river that ran through it, blared their sirens and arrested a female gatherer who had “failure to appear” warrant. Part one (from Soaring Eagle’s MySpace page) long version plays audio only; video peculiarly missing as of July 2008

Part One, short version http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=355688&blogId=420287639

Part One, long version http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=12590276

Part Two (“Arrested. Call for Peace”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvvcwcHkYQA&feature=related

Part Three (“Officer Looses Temper”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD6bX-36Fbc&feature=related

Part Four (“Police After Call for Peace”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uklob4ooh1w&feature=related

Unedited footage of police riot at Kid Village, July 3, 2008 at Wyoming Rainbow Gathering where unprovoked USFS police opened fire on the camp using pepper spray rifles and aiming projectile tasers. Both children and adults were traumatized. Attack left permanent scar on the agency’s reputation (“Rainbow Family / Police Incident 2008″)

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=p5aed3FHiNc&feature=related

Evidential hearing transcript; top officer Gene Smithson reveals under oath that USFS receives yearly continuing education credits for field “training in formations and how to protect themselves, how to dissipate crowds, how to deal with crowds” at Rainbow gatherings

http://www.free-assembly.org/gather/courtstorms/ar07-ozark/us-v-wirtshafter/hrg-transcript-5jy07/view

USFS Taser purchase document

http://www.peer.org/docs/fs/07_4_12_taser_justification.pdf

PRESS RELEASE: Fourth Barrage of Rainbow Tickets to be Heard Monday

rpcrew — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:00:20 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Website: www.rpcnews.us
Email: rpcrew1 at gmail.com
John McCall, Attorney at Law, (505) 256-1998

FOURTH BARRAGE OF RAINBOW TICKETS TO BE HEARD MONDAY

Albuquerque, NM (July 5th, 2009)- On Monday, July 6th at 9:00 AM approximately 76 more attendees from the Rainbow Gathering are expected to appear in New Mexico Federal Magistrate Court, 333 Lomas Blvd, Albuquerque for mandatory hearings on tickets issued by United Stated Forest Service (USFS) Law Enforcement Officers. About the same amount of cases were heard at each of the Rainbow gatherers’ court dates held on the past two Mondays and last Wednesday, also in Albuquerque. Reports indicate that most tickets were paid. The tickets are primarily for minor traffic violations such as “dirty license plate.” Gatherers must travel 240 miles round trip from the Gathering site near Cuba, NM to appear in court or federal warrants are issued for their arrest. Interested parties are encouraged to attend.

This year’s annual Rainbow Gathering is happening in the Parque Venado area of the Santa Fe National Forest from July 1 through 7. Clean-up runs from July 8 to completion. Rainbow volunteers who arrived early to set up were met with intense harassment by the USFS National Incident Management Team (NIMT, also known as “Incident Command Team”) who exhibited a range of behavior from aiming pepper ball rifles during a nighttime raid of camp to issuing tickets at daily illegal roadblocks where people, their belongings and their camping gear were searched. Interestingly, the NIMT denied establishing any checkpoints or roadblocks in a June 28th press release: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/rainbow/Rainbow_NR5.pdf

Even more interesting, an early report indicates that as of July 2nd, the day after the most recent court hearing, the roadblocks ceased. Some attendees believe the officers who were conducting the checkpoints have moved into the Gathering and are now proceeding with daily shows of force in camp including walk-throughs and stand-arounds in which up to one out of every three officers is seen carrying pepper ball rifles, and officers routinely videotape their surroundings. US Marshals accompany the NIMT on their patrols which seems to help keep them under control.

Campers are enjoying their reunion as well as the forest, which is dotted with breathtaking blooming blue irises. The event began on July 1st with a single clap of thunder at 12:05 AM, seemingly welcoming the gatherers “back-to-nature.” There had been slight precipitation about every other day until on July 4th when it poured. Still the gatherers joined hands and prayed for peace in silence all morning in a huge meadow until the silence was broken with prayer and celebration. Soon the rain stopped, the children paraded to the center of the circle where they were rejoiced, and 250 watermelons along with peaches and plums were shared.

One highlight of the day was a late afternoon double rainbow which stretched across the sky and lingered for maybe a half an hour, becoming more vibrant by the minute. A long-time gatherer described the sight as “the most stunning, spectacular rainbow I have ever seen…the space between the two rainbows was darker than the rest of the sky, it was just astounding…it was as spectacular as the Northern Lights!” Gatherers felt truly blessed. Another highlight was a swinging Dixieland jazz band playing at a home-made theater decorated with red and white contrasting panels.

Travel advisory for getting to camp: Have all paperwork and be sure vehicles are in good repair. Have nothing on the dashboard or hanging from the rearview mirror. Keep windshields and license plates clean, especially when driving on unpaved roads. Obey all traffic laws, watch for stop signs, and use turn signals, especially at all unpaved intersections. Follow guidelines of the parking crew who will greet you at the front gate. Media personnel are especially welcome. Pull into the designated Media Parking area and check in to be escorted through the camp. Tours begin at 12:00 pm daily from the Media Parking area.

Directions to the Gathering (from Cuba, NM): Take State Road 126 east for 13 + miles to FS Road 103 on left, go 2 miles to FS Road 69 on left then drive 9 miles to where FS Road 69 meets FS Road 70.

NIMT press releases and statements are on the Forest Service’s website, http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/rainbow/index.html.

This press release is provided as a service of the Rainbow press crew, an unofficial affiliation of volunteers. Additional press releases are on the Rainbow press crew’s website, www.rpcnews.us.

Please forward

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PRESS RELEASE: Third Barrage of Rainbow Gathering Tickets to be Heard Wednesday

rpcrew — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:00:39 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Website: www.rpcnews.us
Email: rpcrew1 at gmail.com
John McCall, Attorney at Law, (505) 256-1998

THIRD BARRAGE OF RAINBOW GATHERING TICKETS TO BE HEARD WEDNESDAY

Forest Service Aim to “Manage and Minimize Social and Political Impacts” Reveals Chilling Effect on First and Fourth Amendment Rights

Albuquerque, NM (June 30, 2009)- On Wednesday, July 1st at 9:00 AM approximately 76 more attendees from the Rainbow Gathering are expected to appear in New Mexico Federal Magistrate Court, 333 Lomas Blvd, Albuquerque for mandatory hearings on tickets issued by United Stated Forest Service (USFS) Law Enforcement Officers. About the same amount of cases were heard at each of the Rainbow gatherers’ court dates held on the past two Mondays, also in Albuquerque. Early reports indicate that most tickets were paid. The tickets are primarily for minor traffic and forest use violations such as “dirty license plate.” Gatherers must travel 240 miles round trip from the Gathering site near Cuba, NM to appear in court or federal warrants are issued for their arrest. Interested parties are encouraged to attend.

In a recent press release from the USFS National Incident Management Team (NIMT, also known as “Incident Command Team”), Forest Service Incident Commander Gene Smithson claims they are acting in “good faith” with Gathering attendees. However, in the course of pursuing their vaguely stated goal to “manage and minimize” the Rainbow Gathering’s “social and political impacts,” the NIMT has dissuaded people from attending by conducting random searches of vehicles and tents; intruding on camps at night, aiming pepper ball rifles and flashlights at gatherers; issuing tickets at illegal roadblocks; and generally exhibiting hostile behavior towards attendees and volunteers even after a permit was issued for the event.

Now that US Marshals have been accompanying the NIMT on their patrols throughout the Gathering, the harassment has decreased and mostly consists of their continued presence and their daily checkpoints at varying locations on the way into and out of the Gathering. The roadblocks discourage Rainbow attendees from going into town for supplies, and thousands of former Rainbow gatherers are dissuaded from attending because of the overall increased harassment year after year by the NIMT. This limits the enormous boost that Rainbow Gatherings bring to the local economy. The federal government may see a small profit in the fines gatherers pay who do not wish to return months later to contest their tickets, but that is little compared to its unnecessary spending of hundreds of thousands of dollars to intentionally interfere with citizens exercising their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble on public land.

Tickets issued at illegal roadblocks may be contested in court because they are in violation of the Fourth Amendment. (See US Supreme Court ruling at http://www.drugpolicycases.com/opinions/opinion8.html). Despite the gatherers’ overwhelming evidence that these checkpoints have been taking place outside this year’s Gathering since June 15th (as well as for years outside past Rainbow gatherings), the NIMT has just denied this, publicly stating, “Officers will be patrolling the area around the clock but, to date, have not established any checkpoints or roadblocks.”

Regarding the Gathering’s “social impact,” gathering volunteers have done extensive outreach to local residents, businesses and Forest Service resource personnel to cultivate a positive event for all parties. Please see this video:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLj8qsXt0ZE
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VwVjvSSn5I&feature=related
As far as the alleged “political impact,” the gatherers wish everyone to know that they have no agenda other than to pray for world peace and gather peacefully. Individuals will host non-threatening activities like yoga classes, sign-language workshops and parades. The campers are enjoying their reunion, look forward to a safe, healthy, and happy gathering, and all peaceful people are invited to attend.

Travel advisory for getting to camp: Have all paperwork and be sure vehicles are in good repair. Have nothing on the dashboard or hanging from the rearview mirror. Keep windshields and license plates clean, especially when driving on unpaved roads. Obey all traffic laws, watch for stop signs, and use turn signals, especially at all unpaved intersections. Follow guidelines of the parking crew who will greet you at the front gate. Media personnel are especially welcome. Pull into the designated Media Parking area and check in to be escorted through the camp. Tours begin at 12:00 pm daily from the Media Parking area.

Travel advisory for getting around camp: most of the Gathering is no more than a ¾ mile hike from the parking lot. Wear good shoes and bring a large water bottle and a reusable plate and cup if you wish to partake in the free food and drink. Throughout the gathering, keep up to date with the latest developments in parking restrictions by checking at the Info booth and Main Circle announcements. Many gatherers love interacting with the media and will gladly be filmed. But in respect for people’s freedom of religious expression, it is requested that anyone taking photographs or film images ask permission from each individual to be included in the shot. On July Fourth, silence is observed from dawn until noon. During this time, it is requested that any cameras used before noon only take long distance group shots so everyone is comfortable. Please respect this moment of silent prayer and meditation for world peace, and refrain from requesting or acquiring any close-up shots or interviews.

Directions to the Gathering (from Cuba, NM): Take State Road 126 east for 13 + miles to FS Road 103 on left, go 2 miles to FS Road 69 on left then drive 9 miles to where FS Road 69 meets FS Road 70.

NIMT press releases and statements are on the Forest Service’s website, http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/rainbow/index.html.

This press release is provided as a service of the Rainbow press crew, an unofficial affiliation of volunteers. Additional press releases are on the Rainbow press crew’s website, www.rpcnews.us.

Please forward

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PRESS RELEASE: New Batch of Rainbow Tickets to be Heard Monday

rpcrew — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:00:27 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Website: www.rpcnews.us
Email: rpcrew1 at gmail.com
John McCall, Attorney at Law, (505) 256-1998

NEW BATCH OF RAINBOW TICKETS TO BE HEARD MONDAY

Gatherers Call Event Success Despite Harassment by Law Enforcement

Albuquerque, NM (June 27, 2009)- On Monday, June 29th at 9:00 AM attendees from the Rainbow Gathering are expected to appear in New Mexico Federal Magistrate Court, 333 Lomas Blvd, Albuquerque for mandatory hearings on tickets issued by United Stated Forest Service (USFS) Law Enforcement Officers. Interested parties are encouraged to attend.

An estimated 3,500 Rainbow volunteers are currently on location setting up for the 7,000 or so expected to attend this year’s annual Rainbow Gathering to be held in the Parque Venado area of New Mexico’s breathtaking Santa Fe National Forest from July 1 through 7, 2009. Clean-up runs from July 8 to completion. For over 37 years, Rainbow attendees have been gathering in a different National Forest each year with one united purpose: to pray for world peace. Each year they set up their own infrastructure, from parking to security, all on a volunteer basis. This year is no different.

The gatherers remain chipper even in the face of adversity by the USFS’s Incident Command Team, who have been continuing with roadblocks. Gatherer Garrick Beck reports, “The overall ‘vibe’ onsite is peace, love and co-operation. We had a huge food delivery this morning, everyone seems busy chopping firewood and creating the Gathering Village, and we were even graced with an intense rainbow after our dinner prayer.” Many businesses in the surrounding areas have erected “Welcome Rainbow” signs. Also, US Marshals have been accompanying USFS Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) on their patrols throughout the Gathering. Some attendees think the Marshals may be keeping an eye on the LEOs to be sure they don’t get out of hand, as they have at this Gathering and in gatherings past.

Last Monday a barrage of cases involving ticketed Rainbow gatherers were heard in Federal Magistrate court. Early reports indicate that most tickets were paid. One Gatherer who fought his charge received a sentence of community service cleaning up the Gathering site. Tickets issued at illegal roadblocks may be contested in court.
http://www.drugpolicycases.com/opinions/opinion8.html

The tickets are primarily for minor traffic and forest use violations. The imposition of mandatory hearings for minor tickets like “dirty license plate” and “failure to use turn signal” (on unpaved roads) is unusual. In most cases, these types of tickets can be remitted by mail when someone is traveling from out of state. The requirement of hearings imposes a special burden on gatherers and appears to single them out for harsher treatment under the law than other citizens.

For the second week in a row, individuals who receive tickets at or near the Gathering not only face potential fines, but are additionally forced to leave a legal assembly and travel 240 miles round trip from the Gathering site near Cuba, NM to appear in court or face possible contempt charges. This is taxing on the gatherers; they must be either up and out of camp by 6:00 AM or get a motel room Sunday night in Albuquerque.

Some gatherers call this a slap in the face after several months of successful cooperation between Gathering volunteers and USFS resource officials to assure a safe and legal event. The USFS issued a permit for the event weeks ago. Then, shortly after the permit was announced, the Incident Command Team arrived and began random searches of vehicles and tents, raided camps at night, issued tickets and generally exhibited hostile behavior towards attendees and volunteers. Still the campers are enjoying their reunion and look forward to a safe, healthy, and happy gathering.

Volunteer lawyers are assisting the gatherers in dealing with these tickets, and to raise protest with the court regarding the oppressive nature of Law Enforcement actions towards the gatherers. American citizens are being needlessly harassed at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars simply because they are exercising their First Amendment right to gather in the woods, pray for world peace and celebrate humanity.

Travel advisory for getting to camp: Have all paperwork and be sure vehicles are in good repair. Have nothing on the dashboard or hanging from the rearview mirror. Keep windshields and license plates clean, especially when driving on unpaved roads. Obey all traffic laws, watch for stop signs, and use turn signals, especially at all unpaved intersections. Follow guidelines of the parking crew who will greet you at the front gate. Pull into the designated Media Parking area and check in. Media is welcome to be escorted through the camp. Tours begin at 12:00 pm daily from the Media Parking area.

Travel advisory for getting around camp: most of the Gathering is a hike from the parking lot. Wear good shoes and bring a large water bottle and a reusable plate and cup if you wish to partake in the free food and drink. Throughout the gathering, keep up to date with the latest developments in parking restrictions by checking at the Info booth and Main Circle announcements. You will find there are many gatherers who love interacting with the media and will gladly be filmed. But in respect for people’s freedom of religious expression, it is requested that anyone taking photographs or film images ask permission from each individual to be included in the shot.

Directions to the Gathering (from Cuba, NM): Take State Road 126 east for 13 + miles to FS Road 103 on left, go 2 miles to FS Road 69 on left then drive 9 miles to where FS Road 69 meets FS Road 70.

This press release is provided as a service of the Rainbow press crew, an unofficial affiliation of volunteers. Additional press releases are on the Rainbow press crew’s website, www.rpcnews.us.

Please forward

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ADDENDUM: TIME and LOCATION of Mandatory Court Appearances for Rainbows

rpcrew — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:47:30 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Website: www.rpcnews.us
Email: rpcrew1 at gmail.com

TIME AND LOCATION OF MANDATORY COURT APPEARANCES FOR RAINBOWS

Albuquerque, NM (June 21, 2009) – Here is the information the press crew was able to collect. Interested parties are encouraged and invited to attend.

From Garrick Beck, volunteer:
“There are many tickets to appear in Albuquerque Federal Court scheduled for Monday morning June 22nd.”

From another Gathering volunteer:
“Court starts at 9 am and it’s over 2 hours from the site, that makes it pretty taxing on folks with tickets, it’s either up and out of camp by 6 am or a motel room Sunday night in Albuquerque.”

From John McCall, Esq.:
“75 COURT HEARINGS TOMORROW IN THE NEW MEXICO FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT AT 333 LOMAS BLVD ALBUQUERQUE.”

This addendum is provided as a service of the Rainbow press crew, a completely unofficial affiliation of volunteers who – like all the other volunteers who work to make the gathering happen in a peaceful manner- have not been authorized by anyone to speak for any Rainbow-related entities or events. Additional press releases are on the Rainbow press crew’s website, www.rpcnews.us.

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PRESS RELEASE: Rainbow Gatherers Ordered to Albuquerque for Ticket Hearings Monday

rpcrew — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:45:11 +0000

(by friends of Rainbow press crew)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 21, 2009

Rainbow Gatherers Ordered to Albuquerque for Ticket Hearings Monday

Contact: Garrick Beck, volunteer, (505) 660-8800
John McCall, Attorney at Law, (505) 256-1998

On Monday, over 75 attendees from the Rainbow Gathering are expected to appear in New Mexico Federal Magistrates Court in Albuquerque for mandatory hearings on tickets issued by Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers. The 75 tickets are primarily for minor traffic and forest use violations.

The imposition of mandatory hearings for minor tickets like “dog off leash” and “failure to use turn signal” (on unpaved roads), is unusual. In most cases, these types of tickets can be remitted by mail when someone is traveling from out of state. The requirement of hearings imposes a special burden on gatherers and appears to single them out for harsher treatment under the law than other citizens. Individuals who receive tickets at or near the gathering not only face potential fines, but are additionally forced to leave an expressive assembly and travel nearly 120 miles from the gathering site near Cuba, NM to appear in court or face possible contempt charges.

According to gatherers, this comes as a slap in the face after several months of successful cooperation between Gathering volunteers and Forest Service resource officials to assure a safe and legal event. Resource personnel have been extremely positive about the behavior of most gatherers and issued a permit for the event last week. Then, shortly after the permit was announced, a separate “Incident Command Team” of Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers arrived at the site and began random searches of vehicles and tents and issuing tickets for a variety of alleged violations.

According to gatherers, the Incident Command Team appears to be acting independently to disrupt and intimidate gathering attendees. Law Enforcement Officers have set-up daily roadblocks on forest roads around the gatherings, conducted random searches of cars and tents, abruptly ordered camps to move after they were approved by Forest Service resource rangers, raided camps at night with dogs, and generally exhibited hostile behavior towards attendees and volunteers.

The Rainbow Gathering is an annual expressive assembly that draws thousands of people to National Forests each year to join together in prayer and celebration to promote peace and harmony on Earth. Gatherings have occurred since 1972 and have a developed a solid reputation for cleaning up gathering sites before they leave. The Gathering is free and open to all who come in peace.

A group of volunteer lawyers are gathering to assist the gatherers in dealing with these tickets and to raise protest with the court regarding the oppressive nature of Law Enforcement actions towards the gatherers. American citizens are being needlessly harassed at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars simply because they are exercising their First Amendment right to gather in the woods and pray for world peace and celebrate humanity.

This press release being forwarded as a service of the Rainbow press crew, a completely unofficial affiliation of volunteers who – like all the other volunteers who work to make the gathering happen in a peaceful manner- have not been authorized by anyone to speak for any Rainbow-related entities or events. Additional press releases are on the Rainbow press crew’s website, www.rpcnews.us.

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PRESS RELEASE: Rainbow Seed Camp Underway in New Mexico

rpcrew — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:00:17 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Website: www.rpcnews.us

Email: rpcrew1 at gmail.com

RAINBOW SEED CAMP UNDERWAY IN NEW MEXICO

Federal Law Enforcement Takes Heavy Hand

Santa Fe National Forest, NM (June 18th, 2009) – This year’s annual Rainbow Gathering will be held in the Parque Venado area of one of New Mexico’s many breathtaking National Forests from July 1 through 7, 2009. Clean-up runs from July 8 to completion. Seed camp has begun, with volunteers setting up for the gathering. They are clearing open land of debris for parking, setting up trails, and constructing bridges. A temporary village is being built amid the trees, Swiss Family Robinson-style. Each carload arrives bringing fresh volunteers and the gathering grows organically.

The annual reunion is a cost-free, rustic, back-to-nature encampment held in a different National Forest across the nation every summer, culminating in a massive silent prayer for world peace on July 4th. Approximately 5,000 to 10,000 peaceful people will gather to practice peace, from babies to veterans of wars dating as far back as Korea, and from vacationing professionals to adventurous backpackers, bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars into the small rural communities surrounding the gathering site.

On the trail, people with huge bundles, looking like a parade of ants, carry things like drums, banners, flags, tents, and tarps. Camps and kitchens such as Tipi Village, Handicamp, Milliways, and Fat Kids have arrived. On their breaks, volunteers are served hearty meals like baked beans and cheese from Montana Mud and fettuccine alfredo from the American Rainbow Rapid Response team. They are a group of relief workers formed after they transported and staffed Rainbow-style mobile kitchens which aided fellow citizens ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. They learned almost all of their skills from volunteering at Rainbow gatherings. A ten-pallet food order is being coordinated through La Montanita Co-op, the People’s Coop of Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

One good project of the Forest Service (FS) is their effort to restock a lake with an endangered fish in a wilderness area, and trying to figure out how Rainbow volunteers may aid in that effort. The Rainbow gatherers are very willing to lend a hand and have a long history of working with different governmental agencies. For example, while setting up Tipi Village this year, gatherers came upon a previously undiscovered archaeological site, informed the local resource rangers and the area was properly marked and roped off. The FS archaeologist seemed thankful for the find.

“Two-more-days.”

Cooperation between government officials and Rainbow gatherers has, however, become strained in recent years, often due to the conflicting agendas of the resource-protection and law-enforcement divisions of the FS. District rangers are repeatedly impressed with the gatherers’ respect for the chosen site – often cattle-grazing areas – and the intensive cleanup that follows. But the agency’s Incident Command Team overrides the resource division’s authority, turning the Gathering into a law-enforcement exercise and racking up millions of dollars in expenses every year.

The FS permit was signed by someone still unknown to the Rainbow gatherers as of this press release. Gatherers were threatened with force if they didn’t sign. Restricting people from peaceably assembling on public land contradicts the First Amendment, putting the FS in violation of the law and the Constitution of the United States. The signed permit makes the Gathering “legal” in the eyes of the law enforcement division of the FS, but even that is not enough for them. They have started acting on their threat of force in spite of the permit, beginning with an illegal roadblock. This contradicts the Fourth Amendment, again putting the FS in violation of the law and Constitution. Yet the Gatherers are made to look like the criminals.

http://www.drugpolicycases.com/opinions/opinion8.html

In late morning on June 15th, a roadblock was discovered three miles from the Gathering on Route 69, staffed by two regional FS officers, a male and female. Two law enforcement vehicles faced each other on opposite sides of the road about twenty feet apart, one with its door ajar. Drivers had to pass carefully to get through. The law enforcement officers (LEO)s had pulled two cars over. A woman looking distraught stood outside one of the cars. The female LEO put on black gloves as a witness drove by slowly. One officer smirked at a gatherer, held up two fingers and said ominously, “Two-more-days.” Harassment by regional FS officers continued on the 16th and by the next day, a team of Federal officers from around the nation had arrived on schedule.

At night, ten to twelve LEOs moved through the encampment shining bright flashlights into peoples’ eyes. When asked why this was being done, sometimes the answer was “Shut up!” Only once did an officer say they were looking for someone. When they were asked “Who?” another officer replied, “It’s none of your business.” When an individual came over to them to ask what was going on, LEOs aimed their pepper ball rifles and commanded the person to back off. People were terrified.

More examples of the many incidents of police harassment that have occurred in the past two days include:

• A group of 10 LEOs walked through the parking lot and searched an unattended vehicle. They found nothing.

• Two LEO vehicles sped at an estimated 45 mph through a populated area of the road with their lights twirling. They stopped, quickly exited their vehicles, told campers that their area was “dirty” and ordered them to clean it up immediately. The frightened campers began straightening up the area and the officers left. The exact same thing happened at the Welcome Home camp by the road at the annual Rainbow Gathering in Wyoming last year.

• One gatherer was stopped at a checkpoint three times. He never received a ticket or a warning. He said he was undeterred and had just taken to driving the road with his license, registration and insurance card in his lap.

In contrast to the FS law enforcement behavior, the FS resource personnel have been friendly and welcoming, and the Sandoval County Sheriffs Department and State Patrol are acting polite. Gatherers see no need for a Federal police presence; the gatherers have provided their own security for the event for over 37 years, and also successfully maintain their own parking, communications, water, fire patrol, sanitation systems and community health. When law enforcement agencies are insistent on policing the event, it is preferable for gatherers and law enforcement to work together on issues of mutual concern, and to establish common ground. The FS LEOs have made no working connections with the Rainbow volunteers.

At a town meeting in Cuba, the closest town to the Gathering, local residents and Rainbow attendees had a meet-and-greet. FS resource personnel presented a slide show on the ’95 annual Rainbow Gathering in New Mexico, praising how well the Rainbow gatherers got along with local residents and cleaned up the site. The Rainbow attendees presented a film entitled, “Effects of Rainbow Gatherings on Local Residents.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLj8qsXt0ZE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VwVjvSSn5I&feature=related

The packed house applauded at the end. Local residents asked relevant questions. One Gathering attendee advised the local residents to drive carefully and observe all laws because “there’s a new kind of police up those roads that aren’t usually there.” There was another round of applause and thanks for the advisory.

People are disturbed by the LEOs unnecessary show of force because the gatherers’ entire purpose in gathering is to pray for world peace. However, they are enjoying their reunion and look forward to a safe, healthy, and happy gathering.

Travel advisory for getting to camp: Have all paperwork and be sure vehicles are in good repair. Have nothing on the dashboard or hanging from the rearview mirror. Keep windshields and license plates clean, especially when driving on unpaved roads. Obey all traffic laws, watch for stop signs, use turn signals. Follow guidelines of the parking crew who will greet you at the front gate. Pull into the designated Media Parking area and check in. Media is welcome to be escorted through the camp. Tours begin at 12:00 pm daily from the Media Parking area.

Travel advisory for getting around camp: most of the Gathering is a hike from the parking lot. Wear good shoes and bring a large water bottle and a reusable plate and cup to enjoy free food and drink! Throughout the gathering, keep up to date with the latest developments in parking restrictions by checking at the Info booth and Main Circle announcements. You will find there are many gatherers who love interacting with the media and will gladly be filmed. But in respect for people’s freedom of religious expression, it is requested that anyone taking photographs or film images ask permission from each individual to be included in the shot.

Directions (from Cuba, NM): Take State Road 126 East for 13 + miles to FS Road 103 on left, go 2 miles to FS Road 69 on left then drive 9 miles to where FS Road 69 meets FS Road 70.

This press release is provided as a service of the Rainbow press crew, a completely unofficial affiliation of volunteers who – like all the other volunteers who work to make the gathering happen in a peaceful manner- have not been authorized by anyone to speak for any Rainbow-related entities or events. Additional press releases are on the Rainbow press crew’s website, www.rpcnews.us.

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PRESS RELEASE: Town Meeting Scheduled, Gatherers Spirited Yet Concerned for Personal Safety

rpcrew — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 05:00:37 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Website: www.rpcnews.us
Email: rpcrew1 at gmail.com

TOWN MEETING SCHEDULED, GATHERERS SPIRITED YET CONCERNED FOR PERSONAL SAFETY

Cuba, NM (June 12, 2009) – A town meeting is scheduled for 6:00 PM on Wednesday, June 17th, at the community hall in Cuba, NM. Local residents and Rainbow gathering enthusiasts will come together to discuss this year’s annual Rainbow Gathering with the intent of ensuring a positive, peaceful and healthy experience for all. Interested parties are encouraged and invited to attend.

This meeting is particularly significant because gatherers want to assure the local residents that the gathering will not have nearly as many visitors as was recently reported in the local media, and that the gatherers who do attend strictly adhere to the principles of peace and non-violence, because the entire goal of the weeklong event is to camp out peacefully and pray for world peace.

A report broadcasted from KOAT ABC news stated that the gathering could be as large as 75,000 people. Recent gathering attendance has actually been closer to 7,000, according to United States Forest Service (USFS) estimates. Forest Service spokeswoman Mary Cernicek noted that “some of the larger gatherings have been upwards of 30,000.” (Pinedale WY Roundup, June 11, 2008.) While this has been true in the past, gatherers believe the Forest Service often overestimates attendance to receive more funding. Another Forest Service spokeswoman more accurately reported in reference to the 2007 Arkansas gathering, “The event reached its peak with an estimated 6,000 people.” (Arkansas Online, July 6, 2007). Regardless of their numbers, many of the attendees will be vacationing professionals who will bring hundreds of thousands of dollars to the area.

Many believe attendance at the annual event is falling because of the government’s intensified harassment campaign against Rainbow events. This has ranged from numerous citations for offenses like having a dusty windshield after driving on an unpaved road, to six-month prison sentences for gathering without a permit, to the Forest Service’s recent purchase of 700 tasers and subsequent tasering of peaceful gatherers hours away from any hospital. One gatherer was even tasered at the 2008 annual Gathering in Wyoming while he was in handcuffs and already on the ground. Video is available of this incident.

Last year the tension between gatherers and law-enforcement officers reached a peak on July 3rd when a law-enforcement team opened fire on Kid Village which is the children’s area of the gathering. Just as the children were about to have dinner, the team tackled and arrested a gatherer in the food preparation area of the kitchen, directly in front of the children. Gatherers moved towards the children to shield them from the officers’ demonstration of violence. The officers over-reacted to this sudden movement and opened fire with bullets packed with pepper spray, many of which would explode on impact.

Many more gatherers arrived quickly in response to the call, “Shots fired in Kid Village!” to protect the children. Peacekeepers kept the angry gatherers at a safe distance from the officers who continued firing, now appearing frightened. Then for reasons unknown, the officers began targeting the peacekeepers, shooting them in the back. Other gatherers tried to show the officers the way out of the gathering, but the attack on the gatherers continued until the officers finally cooperated and left.

The Forest Service immediately launched a vast media campaign and by July 5th, newspapers far and wide printed the officers’ claims that they were surrounded by 400 gatherers who threw rocks and sticks at them. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sharply contradicted those claims in an investigative report based on interviews with about 60 witnesses. The ACLU report concluded that the USFS presence at Rainbow gatherings showed an unnecessary pattern of “continual harassment and heavy-handed enforcement methods.” The Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General is currently looking into the incident after numerous citizen complaints about the officers’ behavior.

Seed camp has begun with volunteers helping to set up for the gathering; a temporary village is being built amid the trees, Swiss Family Robinson-style. Enjoyable occurrences like theatrical performances, religious services of all kinds, workshops, campfire musical jams, poetry slams, sign-language classes, pie bake-offs, parades and more unfold. Among the many interesting things to see and experience there is autonomy in action. Gatherers successfully maintain their own security, public health, water and sanitation systems, and volunteer crews cover parking, fire patrol and communications – all without any leaders or hierarchy – and have done so for over 37 years. Rainbow volunteers operate on both a moral and practical work ethic they hope the world will adapt: “If everybody does a little bit, everything gets done.”

Gatherers hope that their peaceful intentions will be met with a readiness to cooperate on the part of the employees responsible for the National Forests. However it is feared that intimidation tactics such as blatant shows of force have already begun for this year, one of the first indications that the gatherers will be harassed or worse. On June 10th, the first day the gatherers convened to decide on the gathering location, a witness spotted “14 USFS jeep type vehicles pull out of their headquarters (in Albuquerque) in formation and head north.”

The gathering is set to take place in the Santa Fe National Forest, north of Albuquerque, from July 1 through 7; clean-up runs from July 8 to completion. Although gatherers are wary of law enforcement presence, they anticipate a wonderful reunion with old friends and a great time had by all. Interested members of the public can learn more at gathering.webhop.biz, a website run by gathering enthusiasts who, naturally, represent no one but themselves.

This press release is provided as a service of the Rainbow press crew, a completely unofficial affiliation of volunteers who – like all the other volunteers who work to make the gathering happen in a peaceful manner- have not been authorized by anyone to speak for any Rainbow related entities or events. Additional press releases are on the Rainbow press crew’s website, www.rpcnews.us.

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PRESS RELEASE: Scouts Continue Search for New Mexico Gathering Site

rpcrew — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:00:04 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Website: www.rpcnews.us
Email: rpcrew1 at gmail.com

SCOUTS CONTINUE SEARCH FOR NEW MEXICO GATHERING SITE

National Forest to be determined, NM (June 6, 2009) – The 38th annual Rainbow Gathering will be held in one of New Mexico’s breathtaking National Forests from July 1 through 7, 2009. In preparation for this event, volunteers convened beginning June 3rd for a scout council in which potential sites to gather were meticulously explored and discussed. The council was pleasant and productive. The meeting has since adjourned and the scouts are once again out trekking the woods, determined to carry out their commitment to locate a good site for the Gathering.

Rainbow gatherers are diverse individuals who congregate each summer on public land and create a cooperative village that focuses on peace, love, healing and respect for the earth. The annual reunion is a non-commercial, cost-free, rustic, back-to-nature camp-out that culminates in a massive silent prayer for world peace on July 4th. Clean-up runs from July 8 to completion. Thousands of peaceful people will gather, from babies to veterans of wars dating as far back as Korea and from vacationing professionals to adventurous backpackers, bringing millions of dollars into the small rural communities surrounding the site.

At scout council, volunteers looked over maps deciding who would go to different areas of the woods, and a crew stayed at camp to have dinner ready for the scouts upon their return. Women and men, young and old hiked through potential gathering sites during the day, and at night around the campfire they conversed respectfully about what they had found. On the morning of June 4th a localized mountain storm drenched the camp but the gathering enthusiasts were prepared with ponchos and rain awnings made from tarps. The sudden change of weather didn’t deter the scouts and when they returned to camp, chili cheese enchiladas were served and enjoyed, both veggie and non-veggie.

Eventually when the gathering location is selected, campers will move onto the site to begin Seed Camp, clearing open land of debris for parking, setting up trails, and building bridges. As each carload arrives bringing fresh volunteers, the gathering will grow organically. Dozens of tarp-covered temporary camps and kitchens will spring up in the forest serving all comers at no charge, courtesy of donations given at daily meal circles large and small.

For nearly four decades, the gatherers have upheld the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitation in their cooking methods and equipment, earning the approval of local Health departments wherever the gathering goes. They successfully maintain their own security, public health, water and sanitation systems, and volunteer crews cover parking, fire patrol and communications. Theatrical performances, religious services of all kinds, workshops, campfire musical jams, poetry slams, sign-language classes, pie bake-offs, parades and more unfold each summer amid the trees.

Interested members of the public can learn more at www.welcomehome.org, a website run by gathering enthusiasts who, naturally, represent no one but themselves.

This press release is provided as a service of the Rainbow press crew, a completely unofficial affiliation of volunteers who – like all the other volunteers who work to make the gathering happen in a peaceful manner– have not been authorized by anyone to speak for any Rainbow related entities or events. Additional press releases are on the Rainbow press crew’s website, www.rpcnews.us.

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PRESS RELEASE: Rainbow Gathering to Re-Visit New Mexico

rpcrew — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:00:26 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Website: www.rpcnews.us
Email: rpcrew1 at gmail.com

RAINBOW GATHERING TO RE-VISIT NEW MEXICO

National Forest to be determined, NM (June 1, 2009) – The 38th annual Rainbow Gathering will be held in one of New Mexico’s breathtaking National Forests from July 1 through 7, 2009. The annual reunion welcomes “everyone with a bellybutton” to a cost-free, rustic, back-to-nature encampment in a different National Forest across the nation every summer, culminating in a massive silent prayer for world peace on July 4th. Clean-up runs from July 8 to completion. Past gatherings have landed in New Mexico in 1995 and 1977. Thousands of peaceful people will gather, from babies to veterans of wars dating as far back as Korea and from vacationing professionals to adventurous backpackers, bringing millions of dollars into the small rural communities surrounding the site.

The Rainbow attendees are an international affiliation of individuals who gather together on public land to create a cooperative village that focuses on peace, love, healing and respect for the earth.

A specific location has not yet been selected for this year’s gathering, but volunteers have been scouting both the Carson and Santa Fe National Forests, working with the United States Forest Service (USFS) to hone in on the best possible site.

The gatherers have a more than 37-year history of success in providing their own all-volunteer crews for parking, communications, and fire patrol. The gatherers are also very proficient in implementing their own security, public health, water, sewer and sanitation systems. Military-style slit latrines are dug. Kitchens are set up Swiss Family Robinson-style. The equipment and methods used to cook for thousands is immaculately clean; the kitchen volunteers adhere to the strictest of sanitation policies even in such primitive conditions, much to the approval of local Health Departments.

During the gathering, supplies will be trucked in daily, courtesy of donations given at meal circles large and small. Theatrical performances, religious services of all kinds, workshops, campfire musical jams, poetry slams, sign-language classes, pie bake-offs, parades and more will unfold amid the trees.

Cooperation between the Rainbow gatherers and government officials has become strained in recent years, often due to the conflicting agendas of the resource-protection and law-enforcement divisions of the USFS. District rangers are repeatedly impressed with the gatherers’ respect for the chosen site – often cattle-grazing areas – and the intensive cleanup that follows. Dennis Havig, district ranger in Wisdom, MT, said he witnessed Gatherers at the 2000 annual Gathering in Montana working long hours collecting trash and sorting recyclables. “There were 23,000 people here and you can find virtually no trash” – Missoula Independent, June 7, 2001. But the agency’s Incident Command Team overrides the resource division’s authority, turning the Gathering into a law-enforcement exercise and racking up millions of dollars in expenses every year.

So far, however, this year has marked a high point in peaceful relations between the gatherers and the cash-strapped federal agency. Besides working together on the site-selection process, early gatherers and USFS representatives are seeking an alternative to a recently passed unconstitutional regulation which states that a signed permit is required for gatherings of more than 74 people in a National Forest. This regulation is in violation of the First Amendment requiring that “Congress shall make no law…abridging…the right of the people peaceably to assemble.”

The narrator of a YouTube film entitled “Effects of Rainbow Gatherings on Local Residents” states that “the Rainbow Gathering takes place in a National Forest. This allows the event to be open to all and free of censorship, in keeping with the right of peaceable assembly and free speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment. There are several basic elements which uniquely define the event, and distinguish it from other forest service uses. They are free, non-commercial events open to everyone. There are no leaders, no closed committees, no authority, no administration and no office. Only self-appointed volunteers work to make the Gathering happen.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VwVjvSSn5I&feature=related

This means of existence is in conflict with the permit’s signature requirement. The gatherers’ endeavor to remain without “leaders” or “representatives” is practical; gatherers who work too closely with the authorities have frequently been targeted by the Forest Service with threats, harassment and fines, and several have even done time in federal prison for not signing a permit. The actual charge? “Use and occupancy of National Forest System lands without a special use authorization when an authorization is required.”

Fortunately, a provision in the regulations allows the permit’s requirements to be satisfied in an “alternative manner.” It is hoped that at the most, the Forest Service will put in place an “operating plan” by July 1, negotiated by all parties but signed by none – an arrangement that worked well for over a decade before the permit regulation was on the books.

Scouts will come together for “Scout Council” on June 3 to compare notes on their site findings.

Interested members of the public can learn more at www.welcomehome.org, a website run by gathering enthusiasts who, naturally, represent no one but themselves.

This press release is provided as a service of the Rainbow press crew, a completely unofficial group of volunteers who – like all the other volunteers who work to make the gathering happen in a peaceful manner– have not been authorized by anyone to speak for any Rainbow related entities or events. Additional press releases are on the Rainbow press crew’s website, www.rpcnews.us.

Please forward

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