From: jsq@tic.com
Subject: Raid of 2600 Washington Meeting
Originator: jsq@aahsa.tic.com
Reply-To: eff-austin@tic.com
X-Submissions: eff-austin@tic.com
Organization: Texas Internet Consulting
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 23:10:54 GMT

(NEWS)(GOVERNMENT)(NYC)(00001)
"This item appeared on Newsbytes. Newsbytes is a copyrighted 
commercial service and its material may not be reproduced. This article is
posted with the express permission of the authors."


John F. McMullen           mcmullen@mindvox.phantom.com    Consultant,
knxd@maristb.bitnet        mcmullen@well.sf.ca.us            Writer,
70210.172@compuserve.com   mcmullen@panix.com                 Student,
GEnie - nb.nyc             mcmullen@eff.org                     Teacher


Reports Of "Raid" On 2600 Washington Meeting 11/07/92 
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 NOV 7 (NB) -- Eric Corley, a/k/a 
"Emmanuel Goldstein", editor and publisher of 2600 Magazine: The 
Hacker Quarterly has told Newsbytes that the Friday, November November 
6th 2600 meeting held in the Pentagon City Mall, outside of Washington, 
DC. was disrupted by threats of arrest by mall security officers and 
Arlington, VA police.

2600 Magazine promotes monthly meetings of hackers, press and other 
interested parties throughout the country. The meetings are held in public 
locations on the first Friday evening of the month and the groups often 
contact each other by telephone during the meetings. Corley told 
Newsbytes that meetings were held that evening in New York, Washington, 
Philadelphia, Cambridge, St. Louis, Chicago, Los Angeles and San 
Francisco. Corley said "While I am sure that meetings have been observed 
by law enforcement agencies, this is the only time that we have been 
harassed. It is definitely a freedom of speech issue."

According to Craig Neidorf, who was present at the meeting handing out
applications for Computer Professionals For Social Responsibility (CPSR),
"I saw the security officers focusing on us. Then they started to come
toward us from a number of directions under what seemed to be the
direction of a person with a walkie-talkie on a balcony. When they
approached, I left the group and observed the security personnel
encircling the group of about 30 gatherers. The group was mainly composed
of high school and college students. The guards demanded to search the
knapsacks and bags of the gatherers. They confiscated material, including
CPSR applications, a copy of Mondo 2000 (a magazine) and other material.
They also confiscated film from a person trying to take pictures of the
guards and, when a hacker called "HackRat" attempted to copy down the
names of the guards, they took his pencil and paper."

Neidorf continued, "I left to go outside and rejoined the group when they 
were ejected from the mall. The guards continued challenging the group 
and told them that they would be arrested if they returned. When one of 
the people began to take pictures of the guards, the apparent supervisor 
became excited and threatening but did not confiscate the film."

Neidorf also said "I think that the raid was planned. They hit right about 
6:00 and they identified our group as "hackers" and said that they knew 
that this group met every month."

Neidorf's story was supported by a Washington "hacker" called "Inhuman",
who told Newsbytes "I arrived at the meeting late and saw the group being
detained by the guards. I walked along with the group as they were being
ushered out and when I asked a person who seemed to be in authority his
name, he pointed at a badge with his name written in script on it. I
couldn't make out the name and, when I mentioned that to the person, he
said 'If you can't read it, too bad.' I did read his name, 'C. Thomas',
from another badge."

Inhuman also told Newsbytes that, while he did not hear it said, he was
told by a number of people that the guards said that they were 'acting on
behalf of the Secret Service. "I was also told that there were two police
officers there from the Arlington County Police present but I did not see
them."

Another attendee, Doug Luce posted an account of his on an NY BBS and gave
Newsbytes permission to quote Luce wrote "I also got to the DC meeting
very late; 7:45 or so. It seemed like a coordinated harassment episode,
not geared toward busting anyone, but designed to get people riled up, and
maybe not come back to the mall. A couple of the things I overheard:
someone had brought a keyboard to sell, and the cops had harassed him
about it, saying 'You aren't selling anything in my mall without a vendors
permit!' Blaize (another attendee) says that maybe his handcuffing Hack
Rat might have set the cops off; or maybe it was the Whisper 2000 that the
cops were convinced was a stun gun. The word is that there was stuff taken
and not given back, wires and soldering tools.  There is also the rumor
that the cops were going through everyone's bags and belongings, and that
some people were detained. While the thrust of the effort seemed to be
mall security, there are conflicting reports about supporting personnel. 
Some people said that the SS (Secret Service) might have been there,
others thought the FBI or plainclothes city officers were assisting (or
coordinating).  Supposedly, several of them had removed their name tags
before moving in."

Luce's reference to possible Secret Service involvement was supported by a
19 year-old college student known as the "Lithium Bandit", who told
Newsbytes "I got to the mall about 6:15 and saw the group being detained
by approximately 5 Arlington County police and 5 security guards. When I
walked over to see what was going on, a security guard asked me for an ID
and I refused to show it saying that I was about to leave. The guard said
that I couldn't leave and told me that I had to see a police officer. When
I did, the officer demanded ID and, when I once again refused, informed me
that I could be detained for up to 10 hours for refusing to produce
identification. I gave in and produced my school ID which the police gave
to the security people who copied down my name and social security
number."

Lithium Bandit continued "When I asked the police what was behind this
action, I was told that they couldn't answer but that "the Secret Service
is involved and we are within our rights doing this. I and some others
later went to the Arlington police station to attempt to get more
information. I was told only that there was a report of the use of a
stolen credit card and 2 officers sent to investigate -- they later
admitted that it was 5. While I was detained, I heard no mention of a
credit card and there was no one arrested."

Marc Rotenberg, director of CPSR's Washington office, told Newsbytes "I
have really no details on the incident yet but I am very concerned about
the reports and confiscation of CPSR applications, if true, is outrageous.
I will find out more facts on Monday. 

Newsbytes was told by the Pentagon City Mall office that any information 
concerning the action would have to come from the director of security, Al 
Johnson, who will not be available until Monday. The Arlington Country 
Police referred Newsbytes to a "press briefing recording" which had not 
been updated since the morning before the incident.

Corley told Newsbytes "there have been no reports of misbehavior by any of
these people. They were obviously singled out because they were hackers.
It's as if they were being singled out as an ethnic group. I admire the
way the group responded -- in a courteous fashion but it is inexcusable
that it happened. I will be at the next Washington meeting to insure that
it doesn't happen again."

The manager of one of New York state's largest malls provided background
information to Newsbytes on the rights of malls to police those on mall
property, saying "The primary purpose of a mall is to sell. The interior
of the mall is private property and is subject to the regulations of the
mall. The only requirement is that the regulations be enforced in an
even-handed manner. I do not allow political activities in my mall so I
could not make an exception for Democrats. We do allow community groups to
meet but they must request space at least two weeks before the meeting and
must have proper insurance. Our regulations also say that groups of more
than 4 may not congregate in the mall. We would ask groups larger than
that to disperse. We would also ask for identification from those who
violate our regulations so that we may bar them from the mall for a period
of 6 months."

She added "Some people feel that mall atriums and food courts are public
space. They are not and the industry is united on this. If the malls were
to receive tax benefits for the common space and public service in snow
removal and the like, it could possibly be a public area but malls are
taxed on the entire space and are totally private property, subject to
their own regulations. If a group of 20 or more congregated in my mall,
they would be asked to leave."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19921107)

John F. McMullen           mcmullen@mindvox.phantom.com    Consultant,
knxd@maristb.bitnet        mcmullen@well.sf.ca.us            Writer,
70210.172@compuserve.com   mcmullen@panix.com                 Student,
GEnie - nb.nyc             mcmullen@eff.org                     Teacher
Xref: sparky austin.general:3411 rec.pets.cats:13591