Freedom Downtime Page #4

lt was like they were scared of us.

Maybe they agreed with Bill Clinton...

that hackers were as one-dimensional

as they were in the script.

How could we get them

to see the other side?

That night, NewYork City

introduced unlimited ride MetroCards.

We decided to find out

how long it would take for our cards to reset...

so we could let people in for free.

This is what the hacker world

was really all about.

Why didn't they see this?

Why did it always have to be something evil

to the people who didn't get it?

We had only one option.

''For Off The Hook,

l recently heard the show...

''where you got the copy of a script

for Takedown.

''l found it really amusing

howthe scriptwriters can take the truth...

''and not twist it or fabricate it,

but just plain lie about what happened.''

l've heard about Kevin's story,

and thanks to Off The Hook...

l heard about this meeting,

and l decided to come...

and see how l can help.

lt wasn't from me, it's from somebody else,

l knew who that is.

-ls there a good catchiness?

-Yeah. ''From Supermax to Miramax:

''Three-and-a-halfYears With No Trial.''

And then you can make another one,

''From Miramax to Supermax:

''And No Trial.''

When they see two ''Free Kevin'' stickers...

when they see 10, 20, 100,

they're gonna say, ''Who the hell is Kevin?''

They'll keep saying it

until somebody answers them.

One or two people that know more about it

are one or two people more on our side.

Those two people get two people

who get two people.That's how it is.

We're gonna be in their face

every step of the way.

lf it comes to showing this thing

on the screen, in theaters...

we're going to be there, too.

l mean, what we're doing now

isn't going to be finished...

until Kevin has his trial, until Kevin is out.

''Guilty by Hollywood''

or something like that.

-That's a good one.

-l like that.

Yeah, l did look at the script, and....

l don't know.

lt's a shame and it definitely

shouldn't be something out there...

for someone

who knows very little about Kevin...

to then see this movie

and have ideas in their head that are untrue.

We had tried talking to them

and they wouldn't listen.

Now, by having a demonstration outside

their offices, they would have to listen.

But we were hackers.

What did we know about demonstrations?

Just that they can turn into riots...

especially when the Mayor

bans demonstrations outside City Hall...

and the cops shoot people a lot more.

We needed guidance,

someone with experience.

We looked all over town for an activist.

Maybe one of those gray-haired hippies

from the '60s.

We found one. Sort of.

What's it like demonstrating here?

Do you get harassed?

They hate our guts because

they don't want the truth to come out.

Why do you think there isn't more activism?

Because people don't care, they're scared...

they're afraid they'll get into trouble.

l can understand it.

But we still have to take a stand,

afraid or not.

We have to at least give it a try,

we have to give it a shot.

-Has this cop been giving you any trouble?

-No, he hasn't bothered me.

And we have a President

that wants to suck their brains out.

That bothers a lot of people, but....

Anybody that's decent gets bothered

when a little child is tortured to death.

Or when a President

is sucking their brains out.

Yeah.

He wasn't exactly what we had in mind.

l got a real earful about

the evils of homosexuals and communists.

But in the end,

he told us the one thing we needed to hear

When you demonstrate,

make sure you're in the right.

And that's the one thing we were sure of:

We were right.

The day arrived.

We had no idea what to expect.

We just stood there for a while,

not knowing what to do.

Our converted phone company van

got more attention than us.

My name is Noah Kenickstein,

l'm an attorney.

-For Miramax?

-No. For you all!

l didn't even know.

-l'm a lawyer. l'm representing you all.

-Okay. Great.

So, no one's getting arrested, right?

-l didn't plan on it.

-Good.

The National Lawyers Guild

sent someone to protect us...

and that was the turning point.

Things began to come together.

Even members of the media showed up.

lt seemed like everyone except Miramax

was taking this seriously.

We learned that when you stand outside

a film studio's offices with picket signs...

people notice.

These folks are gonna

put on a little demonstration here.

They're gonna be marching around.

l thought l would tell you.

-You could tell the....

-l'll tell the precinct.

Tell the precinct, and tell them l'm a lawyer

lt's nice and calm.

No problems at all.

But they're having a little....

They'll be marching around.

-l've got it.

-l wanted to tell you that.

l appreciate thatvery much.

Could you tell me approximately how many?

l would say there's gonna be....

-What area are you doing it in?

-ln front of Miramax Films.

They're demonstrating about a movie

that they're making.

Thanks a lot, l appreciate you stopping me.

Everybody's nice and calm.

-l'll tell them that.Thanks for the advice.

-Okay, no problem.

No, they're not gonna come on purpose.

People are, you know....

You're talking about suits.

They don't give a f***.

You got to go hand it to them.

Don't harass the people who walk by

Some people have crises

going on in their lives.

They can't be bothered with our problems.

Do you have a permit?

Who's in charge out here?

Do you all have a permit?

As long as you don't block

the front of the entrance.

You stay to the side, please.Thank you.

They can walk in front.

The cops have been--

As long as you don't block the entrance,

l don't have no problem.

They have a FirstAmendment right.

Don't block the entrance.

That's all l'm saying.

lt's ringing. l got put in voice mail,

guess they got too many calls.

This one's reaching voice mail.

l'll leave a message.

Hi, this is the protest outside.

Are you guys there?

lf you get this, come outside.

We're right down here.

l see someone.

All right. Maybe you'll pick up the phone

or come downstairs later.

You calling the Publicity Department?

No, the main number.

l got a hold of them yesterday...

and l asked for directions to the protest...

and they told me they couldn't get me

from where l was at to here.

l said, ''Okay, l'll call you back tomorrow

when l'm out front.''

-l see them, they've got their heads out.

-There's one.

They're not answering the phones.

Waving banners that said ''Free Kevin''...

and holding ''Stop Miramax'' posters...

the small butvocal crowd of protesters...

stood outside Miramax Pictures'

New York offices yesterday.

At issue:
this script, entitledTakedown...

the story of the nation's most notorious

computer hacker, Kevin Mitnick.

Mitnick is currently being held in prison

without bail...

awaiting trial on computer crimes.

lt's a script these Kevin Mitnick supporters

say is libelous...

and would hurt Mitnick's chances

of getting a fair trial.

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