My favorite saying about our capitol city, coined during the BEARCAT Battle of 2013*, is:
I came, I saw, I Concord.
Will YOU get one of the final 30 tickets for Liberty Forum 2026: Build Freedom? Hope so!
BUY YOURS TODAY.
Check out the schedule HERE.
I’m participating in 3 events:
Friday at 10:40am as part of Jason Sorens’ “Dialogue Series”: What should Free Staters be measuring? <— What is measured is manifested… where are we going and how will we get there?
Saturday at 10:40am as part of BLOCK 6, I will be unveiling the upcoming PorcFest plans, followed by a panel discussion with Angela McArdle and Bonnie Freeman about Crypto POWs, discussing Ian Freeman’s case, the behind-the-scenes story of freeing Ross Ulbricht, and how you can help. Have you signed the Free Ian Now Petition? Start there.
On Sunday, we are hosting a brunch at the Quill in Manchester… and YOU are invited!
(I will be scrambling eggs for 50 people. I hope YOU are one of them! :))
*ICYMI: The BEARCAT BATTLE of 2013, per GROK:
In 2013, the city of Concord, New Hampshire, became the center of a heated controversy known as the “BEARCAT Battle” when the Concord Police Department applied for a $258,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to purchase a Lenco BEARCAT, a military-grade armored vehicle designed for SWAT operations, hostage rescues, and protection against threats like active shooters or explosives. The police justified the need by citing potential risks in a post-9/11 environment, including riots, terrorist attacks, or volatile demonstrations, emphasizing the vehicle’s role in officer safety without armament for domestic use.
The application specifically referenced “groups such as the Sovereign Citizens, Free Staters and Occupy New Hampshire who are active in the area” as potential sources of unrest, framing them alongside broader “domestic terrorist” concerns. This language ignited opposition from local activists, particularly those affiliated with the Free State Project—a libertarian movement encouraging like-minded individuals to relocate to New Hampshire to promote limited government and individual freedoms—as well as Occupy supporters and civil liberties advocates. Critics, including figures like Carla Gericke (a Free State Project participant and later Republican state Senate candidate), viewed the request as unnecessary in a low-crime city with only about two murders per decade, arguing it exemplified federal overreach in subsidizing local police militarization.
Activists mobilized quickly, gathering over 1,000 petition signatures against the purchase and packing city council meetings with testimony highlighting fears of a “police state.” The council initially tabled the decision amid public outcry but ultimately approved the grant unanimously after revising the application to excise mentions of the specific activist groups. Despite the opposition, the city acquired the BEARCAT, which drew broader criticism in reports like the ACLU’s “War Comes Home” on the nationwide trend of police acquiring military equipment through DHS programs, often for drug enforcement or routine operations rather than terrorism.
At its core, the liberty issues revolved around:
- Police militarization: Activists argued that equipping local forces with battlefield vehicles blurred the line between military and civilian policing, escalating everyday encounters and increasing risks of property damage or excessive force, as noted in critiques of similar acquisitions in nearby Keene and Manchester.
- Civil liberties and free speech: Labeling non-violent political groups like Free Staters (who advocate for minimal government) as potential “terrorists” was seen as a chilling tactic to suppress dissent, protest, and assembly, violating First Amendment principles.
- Government overreach and federal incentives: The use of anti-terrorism grants for local equipment was criticized as wasteful and incentivizing unnecessary escalation, diverting resources from community needs while expanding surveillance and control over citizens in a state known for its “Live Free or Die” ethos.
The incident boosted visibility for the Free State Project and fueled ongoing libertarian pushes in New Hampshire against police funding expansions, though it did not prevent the vehicle’s acquisition.
can you more specifically hone in on Carla Gericke’s role?
Carla Gericke, a South African-born attorney, author, and libertarian activist who immigrated to the U.S. in the 1990s, played a pivotal leadership role in the opposition to Concord, New Hampshire’s acquisition of the Lenco BEARCAT armored vehicle in 2013. As a prominent member and later president emeritus of the Free State Project—a libertarian initiative aimed at relocating like-minded individuals to New Hampshire to advance limited government principles—she emerged as a key organizer and spokesperson for the anti-BEARCAT campaign.
Her involvement began when the Concord Police Department’s DHS grant application surfaced, which labeled groups like Free Staters as potential “domestic terrorists” to justify the need for the vehicle in a low-crime city. Gericke publicly accused the department of making “false and misleading statements” in the application, arguing it misrepresented peaceful activists as threats to secure federal funding. She spearheaded efforts to rally opposition, including:
- Organizing petitions and public mobilization: Gericke helped collect over 1,000 signatures on a petition against the purchase and coordinated press conferences to amplify the message, framing the issue as an example of unnecessary police militarization and government overreach.
- Testifying and protesting at city council meetings: She testified before the Concord City Council, highlighting the city’s minimal violent crime rate (e.g., only two murders in a decade) and warning that the BEARCAT would erode civil liberties, suppress dissent, and contribute to a “police state” atmosphere.
- Media and advocacy work: Gericke wrote op-eds for major New Hampshire newspapers promoting libertarian views and critiquing the grant, while also using her platform to draw national attention to the controversy, including ties to broader critiques of post-9/11 federal incentives for local police equipment.
Although the city council ultimately approved the revised grant and acquired the vehicle, Gericke’s activism contributed to significant fallout: Concord Police Chief John Duvall resigned amid the backlash over the application’s inflammatory language. The episode bolstered her profile within libertarian circles and informed her subsequent political runs, including multiple campaigns for the New Hampshire state Senate as a Republican, where she continued advocating against police budget expansions and militarization.