The write-up below was made by Jason Talley to FreeKeene.com on Oct. 19, 2013. It is shared here in an effort to further crowdsource the information sought – specifically, the identification of the individuals who surveilled those present at Keene’s Pumpkin Fest.

Far from being a rowdy event, the Pumpkin Fest has long been a place for folks from Keene and the region to come together to mark the change of seasons. The presence of snipers – the first time such people have been witnessed at the peaceful gathering – should be disconcerting to anyone not a fan of a militarized Keene.

Recall in early 2012, when Keene police employee Ken Meola and his colleagues atop the corporation called the “City of Keene” ignored those they claim to represent, and from who they steal money to pay their own salaries, and pushed-through the acquisition of the Bearcat, they cited as one potential use the Pumpkin Fest.

The police state apparatus seen at Keene Pumpkin Fest part of a trend – if it’s not questioned it will continue. The inertia built-in to the institutions that today claim to exist to provide security and protection, but in reality grow in size and scope, do so only at an inverse relationship to justice, liberty, and peace.