4 Jul 2000

Keith Henson <hkhenson@netcom3.netcom.com>

I didn't go out till after noon today, it is Independence day the prime national holiday. But I wanted to know if they had a US flag flying in the plaza.

On the way out, I saw a Highway Patrol officer with a stopped car. So I turned around, stopped, parked and talked to Officer Mushaney. Officer Mushaney knew *exactly* who I was because the clams had delivered a tape of me in the middle of the road for the officers to watch and as a result cite me for jaywalking. The officers who looked at the tape concluded I was trying to get away from Edwin Richardson and the other thug (who does not seem to be Brian Reichenberg). So, with a comment or two about this being a fine day to celebrated the First Amendment, and a comment of approval for having a cell phone, I was on my way over to gold base.

Parked at the west end next to where Ashlee was killed, got out my sign and started walking to the east. Sure enough, here comes Edwin and thug 2. So I got on 911 and reported as they were walking down the road to me. Edwin took a bad step in some wet sand on the south side of the road and went down hard, but since it was sand he didn't seem to be hurt much.

Thug 2 crossed over behind me and Edwin got in front. He stopped, forcing me to either go in to the street or further onto scn property, while thug 2 was talking into a radio or cell phone about how I had stepped on precious scn property. But with it obvious I was talking to 911, they kept back about 6 feet. We got up a little beyond the suppressive parrot's location on the east side of the main gate when along comes Officer Mushaney. Mushaney got out and told Edwin and thug 2 to stay where they were till the Sheriff got there. I asked and was free to continue the picket, which I did, well beyond the east underpass and started back. As I crested the hill and could see Officer Mushaney's car, another officer drove up who I think was Officer Alford. Shortly after that Deputy Craig arrived. As I went by on the south side of the road, I noticed Ken Hoden was out there. I continued down the south side to my car, crossed, and went back to the east on the north side of the road.

About that time, Officer Luebs (who I have mentioned before) came along. Not wishing to intrude on this conference beside the road, I crossed back to the south west of the main gate. One of the officers yelled that they wanted to talk so I stopped and went back to where they had crossed the road. We had a friendly conversation about the limits the thugs were under (they have to stay well out of reach and are not to talk) and being careful on the roadway. The officers highly approved of the use of a cell phone instead of jumping out in the road and stopping cars to ask them to call for help.

They allowed as how they were kind of busy with patroling I10, six miles to the north, but that protecting constitutional rights was important enough that they did not mind having this kind of chat with the scientologists whenever it was warranted. (Police in the US, especially elite ones like the CHP, tend to be highly patriotic.) Ken Hoden came by and warned me to stay off private property, but he knows that I have the right to walk on their property if required for safety.

Incidentally, except for the west underpass, they seem to have given up trying to keep gold base staff inside. Many of them were out there looking at the spectacle of 4 police cars talking to the thugs and Ken Hoden. I think I got a photo of Ken today. I got one two or three years ago and they will be interesting to compare. Might just be normal aging, but I think he looks a lot worse. (Or maybe he looks good for someone with the sort of problems he has.)

As usual, the scns took a bad situation and made it worse. This is the *one* thing you can count on. The CHPs officers say the thugs will be walking with me much of the time. This should be fun because *I* don't seem to be under any instruction not to talk about space cooties. Not to mention that three people are a more impressive picket even if two of them are not carrying signs.

All in all, it was an interesting hour of picket. I might do another in the evening.

Keith Henson,
reporting from the Hemet front

PS They did have the US flag flying in the plaza. I have a few photos, but it is near impossible to use a phone and a camera at the same time.