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48 Comments on GRL’s James Powderly and AiB’s Brian Conley Arrested in Beijing

  1. stephenetienne

    Please go back to your regular news program instead of these mini-documentaries.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  2. httprover

    What’s happening in Tibet is an example of institutionalized abuse. Be afraid.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  3. D4Shawn

    I don’t see what’s so special about Tibet. There’s governments everywhere, and nowhere was the land governed over appropriated legitimately (through non-violent, voluntary means). I’m not even convinced that the Tibetans aren’t better off under Chinese rule. Theocracy might just be even more retarded than communism (that’s a tough call), and I’m pretty sure that the standard of living under the Dali Lama was pretty darn low. A “free tibet” would have NO government, not a theocratic one.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  4. Kam

    10 days for upsetting public order ain’t bad.
    In NYC it’s called “disorderly conduct” & as a ‘violation’, the fine (per Penal, S80.05):
    “4. Violation. A sentence to pay a fine for a violation shall be a sentence to pay an amount, fixed by the court, not exceeding two hundred fifty dollars.”

    And for jail (per Penal, S70.15)”
    “4. Violation. A sentence of imprisonment for a violation shall be a
    definite sentence. When such a sentence is imposed the term shall be
    fixed by the court, and shall not exceed fifteen days.”

    2 years ago  ∞
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    1. yLe

      San Fran gets my vote for the model protest city. You get the feeling officers are really there to protect demonstrators, to neutrally walk alongside and with this philosophy its possible to have very large mobile demonstrations with virtually no injuries or arrests. Its a good and very necessary type of infrastructure for a city to have.

      2 years ago  ∞
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  5. CirqueDuCloud

    Wow, this was well put together. Obviously very important to the people of rocketboom.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  6. Respect. ->Those guys certainly have bigger balls than the entire IOC combined. Which seems to specialize in looking the other way more than a senator.
    I just read the story about the 77 + 79 year old ladies (-?!?!!) thrown into ?half? of the possible “Re-Education” Judge Dredd-style sentencing of 4 years forced labor.
    -YEEESH!

    I’d be remiss if I didn’t add this:

    (I’d put more than 1, but spamcatcher seems to choke)

    2 years ago  ∞
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    1. Ryan

      The IOC don’t care as long as they get their bribes. I’ve been boycotting Olympic sponsors all year and don’t intend to stop now.

      2 years ago  ∞
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  7. thanks for the shoutout and more importantly thank you for highlighting the fact that westerners get 10 days in jail where as 70 year old women get one month hard labor. BUT let’s not forget the tibetan monks who are shot and killed for opening their mouths. http://freetibet2008.org/2008/07/12/army-cordons-seal-off-rebel-monasteries-in-tibet/

    2 years ago  ∞
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  8. TaylorJohnson1020

    those free Tibet protesters aren’t doing shit all good they are wasting their time like whiny bitches they can suck a pole.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  9. 2 years ago  ∞
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  10. llrr92

    u need help

    2 years ago  ∞
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  11. Good Luck to the fellaz. Safe trip home!

    2 years ago  ∞
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  12. eurorail

    I have looked at the Tibet situation and history independently and I wonder why Rocketboom is taking the political position it does. If you look at the history it’s a rats nest and as much as I don’t like the heavy handed approach of the chinese, the issue is not clear cut. Look it up for yourselves, but Rocketboom, why take your anti-Chinese view? How about an objective history of the situation… you guys can do it.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  13. Wes561

    Communism sucks!

    2 years ago  ∞
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  14. Cubicleboy04

    That is a really interesting point of view. Everyone does look at China as the “bad guys” but would Tibet really be better off independantly? I suppose it’s hard to tell. Thanks

    2 years ago  ∞
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  15. cetus

    Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon. ~Dag Hammarskjol

    2 years ago  ∞
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  16. banzaidawan

    Cubicleboy04: Just look around Tibet today:
    * Sikkim: Annexed by India
    * Nepal: One of world’s poorest countries, just finished Maoist insurgency.
    * Bhutan: One of world’s poorest countries.

    Free Tibet? Right, return Tibet to the 14th century, slave-owning, feudal Theocracy under the Dalai Lama, where 95 % of Tibetans were serfs or slaves. That’s like return to Slavery in the U.S. Old South.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  17. Cubicleboy04

    I would hope that they would progress abit more than that, but I definantly see your point. I’m very ignorant when it comes to Tibet’s history so I’ll defiantly look into it to form a better opinion. Thanks!

    2 years ago  ∞
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  18. jsfitzgerrel

    FREE TIBET

    2 years ago  ∞
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  19. Many often forget China is a Communist regime bent on controlling their populace and snuffing out any kind of dissent or anything they fear might endanger their power. Remember Tiananmen square? Tibet? Religious persecution? They are the closest thing I can think of to the “Borg”.

    Lessons learned but often forgotten by the West.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  20. An update from Brian’s family:

    Around 5 am US Eastern Standard Time Brian’s family received calls from the US Embassy in Beijing. An Embassy representative had visited Brian and the 5 other detainees, and we were assured that they were doing ok.

    Brian had written messages to different family members and he seemed in good spirits. He seems to be coping well with the situation and is finding solace and distraction in speaking Arabic with another detainee!

    All 6 men are being held with other international detainees, though not all together. They are in rooms of about 10 people each.

    The Embassy expects they will be released and deported without incident at the end of their 10 day sentence, on August 30.

    2 years ago  ∞
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    1. Good thing, he wasn’t arrested in an Islamic country, his head might be rolling around on the floor just about now.

      2 years ago  ∞
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  21. ButlerMoz

    Yay for political idelness and apathy!!
    Guess I’m just another spec amongst the ignorant masses!!

    2 years ago  ∞
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  22. jerobaal81

    chinese goverment upset my balls!!!
    FREE TIBET!!!

    2 years ago  ∞
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  23. Dave Ferrington

    Ok people you need to realize that most major change through history has been because of violence. How did China become China? A War Lord took his troops and took over all the other areas being ruled by his opponents. How did The United States of America become the USA? We went to war with the British. How did Black people get basic rights in the USA, the country went to war with itself and slavery was abolished. About 100 years later, the civil rights movement got those rights put into our constitution. This is one of the few times the “protesters” did not use violent means to overthrow the “rulers” But remember that the leaders were arrested and jailed. But even that can be viewed through the eyes of violence. When I see the films of protesters being watergunned down the street, or beaten, or teargassed, I can see how the violence of the “rulers” was deplorable vs. the “non-aggression” of the protesters. This is the same thing that has happened in China. The protesters are being arrested and jailed. We need to remember that the freedoms that we take for granted everyday are not guaranteed elsewhere. My wish for my own country is that we grant the non-citizen the same basic human rights that we enjoy. Granted if you come here illegally, you should be deported legally. If you come here to planning harm upon us, please be aware that you may face the same punishment that a citizen faces. We are a country with the death penalty. If you don’t like it, I would suggest not committing any heinous crimes. But I am veering from my point. The “rulers” of China got there from violence, they might not understand that change can come from any other way.
    I would say the world is lucky that the people of China have not taken arms up against their own country, yet. The death toll could dwarf any previous war.
    One final note, the link to article about “Tibetian monks being shot for opening their mouths, has statistics that — 242 Chinese police officers and soldiers were killed or wounded as the violence spread. and— An estimated 200 Tibetans died in the crackdown by Chinese authorities. Seems to be about the same on both sides.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  24. baddate

    This one wasn’t as funny.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  25. Moral: Humanity is a war-mongering race. Always has been, always will be.
    And they continued to spill blood until nay a trace was found.

    A little history: China’s huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.
    The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  26. Sarsington

    i dont know much about the tibet situation thing but someone should go to china and protest about something completely stupid and unrelated like banana rights or something and see if they get as much crap for it. like is the government worried about ‘free tibet’ activists or is it simply that you’re not allowed to protest in china.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  27. bl4ckd0g187

    man, I guess marxism isn’t cool…… but we already knew that ;)

    and anyone watching this from china: REVOLT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

    2 years ago  ∞
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  28. yLe

    There are plenty of good western lawyers available to defend protesters but are there enough native tibetan cartographers and lawyers?

    2 years ago  ∞
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  29. jasonlajoie

    Karl Marx Communist Manifesto is a cool idea. The only reason it fails miserably is because of the flaws of human beings to execute it correctly. Communism could only work for the people if the ones in control of operations were without greed. Greed is why communism fails and can never work for the people. Greed is one of the very most destructive flaws of human nature.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  30. WisofschiA99

    cool good work

    2 years ago  ∞
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  31. Kam

    Hey wake up!

    2 years ago  ∞
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    1. I guess it’s Casual Sunday this week. Get out the snorkeling gear.

      2 years ago  ∞
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  32. crypta

    purpureus oportet expugno adamo venustas;

    2 years ago  ∞
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  33. THE CERN HADRON COLLIDER RAP

    2 years ago  ∞
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  34. Kam

    I was saving this for casual Friday but who knows when that will be here!
    Hey Cheeseman, you designing clothes for the Gap now??

    2 years ago  ∞
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    1. I swear it’s not me. I haven’t worn khakis in years! ;-)

      2 years ago  ∞
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  35. For the Rocketboom aficionado

    2 years ago  ∞
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  36. CirqueDuCloud

    ‘u’ need a life. O.O f*ckin random much?

    2 years ago  ∞
    Reply
  37. [...] Joanne interviews Brian Conley of Alive in Baghdad (Brian Conley arrested this week and sentenced to 10 days detention in Beijing) [...]

    2 years ago  ∞
    pingback
  38. [...] has been any more news about Brian Conley & Jeff Rae. Kenyatta Cheese posted this yesterday to http://www.rocketboom.com/rb_08_aug_21/comments: Around 5 am US Eastern Standard Time Brian’s family received calls from the US Embassy in [...]

    2 years ago  ∞
    pingback
  39. New update from Brian’s wife - They’re coming home:

    Hello all,

    We just got word that Brian and friends are on a plane to Los Angeles, arriving Monday morning. He was released with 7 other US citizen detainees: Jeff Goldin, Tom Grant, Mike Liss, James Powderly, Jeff Rae, John Watterberg and Jeremy Wells.

    They have been released 6 days early, largely (we believe) because of political pressure and media attention that forced the US Embassy to take action.

    The fate of the other 2 international detainees, Florian Norbu Gyanatshang a Tibetan with German citizenship, and Mandie McKeown from Britain, is not clear. Please feel free to call their respective embassies and urge their immediate release. For more info on phone numbers and other action steps, see the Free Tibet 2008 website.

    There are other important steps we can take to make sure that their detention gets the international attention it deserves and that the underlying cause — freedom for the people of Tibet — is advanced. We can keep putting pressure on media to tell the real story of the Olympics in China. We can continue to raise awareness about the oppression and violence in Tibet. We can work to support independent media, so we actually get to hear these stories.

    2 years ago  ∞
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  40. hcn9

    do these free tibet hippies know shit bout tibet? they are in it for fame and money. if i was there i woulda kicked their heads in

    2 years ago  ∞
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  41. MasterLeeHZ

    All these fucking white should go to hell!
    Anyway, where is Tibet?

    2 years ago  ∞
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  42. itsDaish

    i wish they would of planted drugs on these worthless people and lock them up for 30 years

    2 years ago  ∞
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  43. LittoMoon

    the lights are cool they cant cover it haha

    1 year ago  ∞
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