Santa Barbara Indymedia

On the evening of the Santa Barbara Really Really Free Market at Alice Keck Park, all were having fun. There were sections of free goods, such as free clothes, shoes, kids' toys, movies, and produce. Attendees were sprawled across the grass soaking up the sun after a night of rain, kids were running around and watching turtles in the pond, and a Reiki healer was demonstrating his techniques.

A park ranger walked up and said that everyone who was buying or selling anything needed to remove their items from the park. Organizers replied that nothing was for sale and that every item out was for free. He stumbled for a second and then said that everything for sale, trade, or free needed to be picked up. Organizers asked why. He responded by saying that groups needed a permit to give away free things. Attendees laughed at how rediculous this sounded and started grumbling and debating with the park ranger, who firmly held his ground. He claimed that it was using the park in a way that the city didn't intend and that our spead of people, music and items wasn't beautiful like we thought it was, but instead just a scattered bunch of trash. He said he would pick up everything and have it hauled away to the trash if we didn't pick up right away.

As some people started to box up the clothes and shoes to be given away, others engaged the ranger in an impromptu Q&A session about everything from why the permit laws exist to why authority can be bad, and why or why not to follow it. Anonymous indivduals wished to brighten up the scene and slipped flowers into his weapons-belt, with daffodils next to the tazer holster and jasmine next to the baton! More and more were added, and he failed to notice.

He was invited to join in on the festivities, and complied in watching a small impromptu band play a few favorites, including the great hit song "I hate my town that's full of facists". He later joined a few rounds of duck duck goose in which local anarchists chased him down (footage available by request), until he became bored and left the scene with 5 clumps of flowers stuck in his belt loop.

After his exist, attendees continued to socialize, sorted through boxes of clothes and participated in workshops such as brazillian jui jitzu. Although temporarily put on hold by the jolly park ranger, the free market was indeed a sucess once more.