NCOM CONVENTION...A TESTAMENT TO UNITY
Tensions were running high within the motorcycle community in the waning
weeks prior to the 17th annual NCOM Convention, May 9-11, but despite the
cancellations or over-patrolling of numerous biker events around the country
in the wake of recent bloodshed, patch holders and motorcycle rights
activists descended on the Radisson Hotel in New Orleans in near-record
numbers for a weekend of learning, sharing, networking and unity.

"This shit has got to stop," exclaimed one Confederation of Clubs chairman
about the outbreak of violence, drawing a standing ovation from the crowded
Patch Holders Meeting.

J.W. Rock of the Bandidos M/C and chairman of the Confederation of Clubs of
Central Texas read a prepared statement during the meeting:

"We the Confederations of Clubs, now organized for patch holders in 39 States
and two Canadian Provinces, do hereby reaffirm our support for the principles
of NCOM and the motorcyclists' rights movement. As members of the National
Coalition of Motorcyclists, the many autonomous Confederations of Clubs
support NCOM's efforts to have all motorcyclists become more involved in our
government, more active in the preservation of our Liberties, and more
dedicated to the Unity of all motorcycle organizations."

Although law enforcement was abundant, it was not oppressive, and the only
violence reported was about 10,000 crawdads that got their tails shucked and
their heads sucked in a local park at the Freedom Fighters' Crawfish Boil
hosted by ABATE of Louisiana on Friday night.

Many problems are solved and friendships forged during the social activities
at the NCOM Convention, but the weekend is structured around Seminars such as
Computer Privacy & the Internet, Women in Motorcycling, Is Your Bike Headed
to the Scrap Heap?, and the ever-popular Mock Legislative Session; and
Meetings like the NCOM Board of Directors Meeting, the NCOM Legislative Task
Force Meeting, the A.I.M. Attorneys Conference and other Regional and special
interest meetings; where centuries of combined knowledge are freely
accessible.

This year's Convention was dedicated to the memory of Bruce Johnson, long
time lobbyist for ABATE of Pennsylvania, who died of cancer earlier this
year. In a moving tribute to Brothers & Sisters Lost, "Doc" Reichenbach,
Chairman of the NCOM Board and President of ABATE of Florida, Inc., read a
list of names of recently deceased Freedom Fighters submitted by motorcycle
clubs and organizations for this special dedication. ABATE of Florida
donated a brass bell to NCOM which was rung once for each name on the 18-page
list, which took eight minutes to read.

But that somber note aside, the Convention seminars were thought-provoking,
the meetings stimulating and the enthusiasm electrifying!

The Silver Spoke Awards Banquet topped off the weekend's festivities by
honoring those amongst us who have distinguished themselves within the
motorcycling community. This year's honorees were: West Virginia State
Delegate Greg Butcher - Government; Ohio A.I.M. Attorney Ralph C. Buss -
Legal; John Paliwoda, Director of the California Motorcycle Dealers'
Association - Commerce; Keith Ball, former editor of Easyriders and founder
of BikerNet.com - Media; and Special Awards were presented to "Gunny," Oregon
A.I.M. Chief of Staff; Curtis Clements of the Christian Motorcycle
Association; and posthumously to John Randolph, A.I.M. Chief of Staff with
the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester.

The Ron Roloff Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Bill Bish, former
NCOM Executive Director, and the Fred Hill International Award was given to
Lloyd "Animal" Rector, founder of the Organization of Responsible Bikers of
Nova Scotia.

The local Louisiana newspaper, the Times-Picayune, wrapped up the weekend
under the headline, "Convention Puts Police on Alert - But Bikers In New
Orleans to Learn Their Rights," and had this to say about the conference;
"While police and federal authorities stepped up patrols for a gathering of
motorcyclists in New Orleans this weekend, the bikers themselves spent much
of their time attending workshops such as 'How a Bill Becomes Law.' Legal
talk was in high gear at the convention, where seminars included 'The New
Terrorists Laws and Their Effect on Your Group' and 'How to Form a Political
Action Committee.'...By late Saturday, authorities said the weekend was
running smoothly."

Next year's NCOM Convention will be held May 8-10, 2003, at the Four Points
Sheraton in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Call the NCOM office at (800) 525-5355 for
further details.

 

"JAPANESE BAN BIKER GANGS" screamed the headline in the May 4th issue of The
Daily Telegraph, which went on to report that the larger Japanese cities are
passing laws to outlaw motorcycle "gang" membership, even to the extent of
calling for jail time for motorcyclists who wear clothes identifying "biker
gang membership." Read on for the complete story, by Colin Joyce in Tokyo...

Japan is cracking down on biker gangs in the latest sign of growing national
impatience with youth crime.

Some of the country's biggest cities have introduced laws allowing officials
to ban biker gatherings or face fines but Hiroshima has now taken the
extraordinary step of introducing jail sentences of up to six months on gang
members "spreading fear" in the city.

Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba hit the streets Saturday night to tell biker
gangs why the city has outlawed them.

Akiba visits biker gangs in parks and entertainment districts throughout the
"Peace City" to talk to bikers about a Hiroshima ordinance that targets them.

"I want you to realize that you're causing problems for everybody," Akiba
said to one biker, explaining that it is already illegal to wear clothes
identifying biker gang membership in the city.

Hiroshima outlawed biker gangs and biker gang membership in an ordinance that
came into effect on April 1 following violent clashes between motorcycle
enthusiasts and police in recent years. Punishments for those who violate the
ordinance will not be handed out until May. Offenders of the draconian
ordinance - simply wearing the uniform of a motorcycle gang is illegal -
face a prison sentence of up to six months or maximum fine of 100,000 yen.

Bosozoku, or "violent running tribes" as the gangs are called in Japanese,
are a haven for disaffected young men. They are a common sight in Japan,
ignoring red lights as they roar through cities or blocking major roads by
driving very slowly en masse.

Their powerful bikes are adapted to make the maximum amount of noise. Anyone
protesting is likely to have his vehicle attacked with baseball bats or be
assaulted himself.

The bosozoku, perhaps best known outside Japan from the famous animated film
Akira, were believed to be dying out in the early 1990s. Japanese tended to
view them as little more than a noisy nuisance and gangs were allowed to run
regularly along the same routes unchallenged by police.

However, tolerance has worn thin in recent years as a result of a series of
violent crimes involving the gangs.

In Tokyo last year a teenager was beaten to death after being mistaken for a
member of a rival gang. In Nagano, central Japan, eight gang members were
imprisoned last week for abducting and battering a rival to death.

 

BIKERS "DOWN UNDER" FACE BANS ON CLUBHOUSES Australia is bracing to prohibit
biker clubhouses in suburbs under a State Government plan to insert a
"character clause" in planning laws, says Political Reporter Susie O'Brien in
the April 23 issue of "The Advertiser":

The bikie gang laws - an Australian first - would empower councils to refuse
bikie clubs permission to build headquarters in suburban areas,
Attorney-General Michael Atkinson said yesterday.

Under the legislation, any outlaw gang involved in illegal activities would
come under a legal definition of bad character.

A special clause banning building approval to those of bad character would
enable councils to reject applications. Councils at present must accept all
valid building applications, irrespective of the applicants' character.

At least four bikie gang clubrooms have been established in Adelaide. "Under
planning laws we can't make a distinction between social clubs or outlaw
bikie fortresses," Mr. Atkinson said.

"We want to take into account the fact they are bikie gangs operating outside
the law," he said. "The laws will allow us to demolish headquarters erected
unlawfully."

The new laws will be introduced this year, but will not apply
retrospectively.

Monash University criminologist Arthur Veno said a more collaborative
approach was required between police and gangs rather than more laws.

John Bennett, president of the Australian Civil Liberties Union, said any
character-based laws would be discriminatory unless they applied to all
people, not just bikie gangs.

 

DIVERSE GROUP DECRIES "SPY FILES" KEPT BY POLICE "Political activists,
bikers and masked demonstrators converged outside the state Capitol on Sunday
to protest the Denver Police Department's collection of secret intelligence
files on more than 3,400 protesters," wrote Nick Groke in a Special Report to
The Denver Post on Monday, April 22, 2002.

The rally, organized by the Tyranny Response Team, a pro gun-rights group,
drew about 100 participants, including members of the Colorado Libertarian
Party, the Colorado Green Party and several local motorcycle clubs.

"The whole idea behind the files is to intimidate," said Robert Teesdale of
the Tyranny Response Team. "This issue affects all of us the same way."

Denver police are allowed under law to keep intelligence files on groups and
people involved in violent crime or property destruction, but they also have
been maintaining documents on peaceful protesters.

"This isn't a resurgence of what they did in the '60s and '70s - it's a
continuation," said Latino activist Ernesto Vigil of the police files. "They
never stopped."

The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit last month against the Police
Department over the so-called secret spy files. The ACLU is seeking access
to the files for people whose names are in the documents. They also want the
files destroyed.

"Unfortunately, I'm not sure even a successful lawsuit will solve the
problem," said Ralph Shnelvar, who spoke at the rally.

Organizers sent invitations to more than 40 local activist groups to attend
the rally. Many of the motorcycle club members left after organizers warned
them that two police officers were writing down the license plate numbers of
nearby motorcycles.

"I support the Denver Police Department, but we know we've been targets, and
it's just stupid," said Bill Jones, a member of a local motorcycle club.

 

MISSOURI BIKERS DEMAND RETURN OF PROPERTY A.I.M. Attorneys around the
country not only provide legal assistance to injured motorcyclists, but they
also contribute "pro bono" legal work for the motorcycle community, and often
serve as Legal Counsel for their local Motorcycle Rights Organization and for
all the Confederations of Clubs. Missouri A.I.M. attorney Jeffrey Lang
recently represented two motorcycle clubs in lawsuits against law enforcement
to return property seized in a raid on their clubhouse.

The Jackson County Drug Enforcement Task Force executed two search warrants.
The first was at the club house shared by the Galloping Goose MC and El
Forastero MC. While no drugs, drug precursors, drug making apparatus or
paraphernalia was located, the Task Force assisted by the FBI and ATF
confiscated club property including, but not limited to, club pictures,
plaques, flags, anything with the club colors or 1% information on it,
antique slot machines and the clubs' minute books.

Another search warrant was executed at the residence of a Galloping Goose
club member. While no drugs or drug making apparatus was found, various
personal items of the member was confiscated including but not limited to,
pictures, club jackets, motorcycle parts and other pictures or clothing
containing club colors or 1% information.

The club and member fought for years trying to regain possession of their
property. About a year ago, out of frustration, they asked if Missouri
A.I.M. attorney Jeff Lang could do anything to help. Jeff filed two lawsuits
against the Task Force. One in the name of the two clubs and the other in
the name of the member.

"Both suits sounded in Tort and asserted causes of action in Replevin,"
explains Jeff in legalese. "Later, after additional discovery, both
Petitions were amended to include a count for Conversion, which, in addition
to actual damages prayed for punitive damages."

Early in the litigation, the Task Force returned most of the member's
property.

"We were able to serve the Task Force detective who was in charge of
executing both search warrants, with a subpoena duces tecum to appear for his
deposition. Just prior to the taking of his deposition, the Task Force
agreed to return the bulk of property taken from the club house of the Gooses
and El Forasteros," according to attorney Lang.

"We proceeded with the deposition of the detective to determine the
reliability of the Confidential Informants who provided information for the
search warrants and any other facts the detective relied upon in requesting
the search warrant," Lang said.

"As of yet, we do not have a trial date, but my clients are ecstatic to get
their property back. There are still issues to resolve regarding firearms,
ammunition and the slot machines that are still being held."

 

QUOTABLE QUOTE: "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
Helen Keller