We are CHANGE: The Global Truth & Liberty Movement

By Brian Kenny and Cynthia McKinney

What started as a small New York City youth group quickly became one of the most prominent grassroots activist/citizen journalist organizations, with over 260 chapters worldwide. We Are CHANGE emerged from the ashes of a post-9/11 New York and would eventually change the world in a historic effort of epic proportions. The group became a leading force within key political movements, including the 9/11 Truth movement, the antiwar movement, the liberty/patriot movement, and Occupy Wall Street, and confronted some of the most powerful war criminals, propagandists and institutions, on their deepest, darkest lies and secrets. Featuring the insider account of a founding member, keynote speeches and important dialogue from 21st century thought-leaders, and much more, We Are CHANGE exposes covert reconnaissance operations against peaceful activist groups, explores pressing philosophical questions, and shares tales of trials and tribulations, as well as brotherhood and camaraderie.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trine Day
• Release date: Sep 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781634241403

Book preview

We Are CHANGE

The Global Truth & Liberty Movement

By Founding Member Brian Kenny

We Are CHANGE: The Global Truth & Liberty Movement

Copyright © 2017 Brian Kenny

Published by:

Trine Day LLC

PO Box 577

Walterville, OR 97489

1-800-556-2012

www.TrineDay.com

[e-mail]

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017952753

Kenny, Brian

–1st ed.

p. cm.

Epub (ISBN-13) 978-1-63424-140-3

Mobi (ISBN-13) 978-1-63424-141-0

Print (ISBN-13) 978-1-63424-139-7

Print (color) (ISBN-13) 978-1-63424-177-9

1.Biographies--Memoirs--Leaders--Notable People--Political. 2.Social Sciences--Communication––Media Studies. 3. Biographies––Memoirs--Historical--United States. I. Kenny, Brian. II. Title

We Are CHANGE Photographs ©2015 Scott Star

First Edition

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in the USA

Distribution to the Trade by:

Independent Publishers Group (IPG)

814 North Franklin Street

Chicago, Illinois 60610

312.337.0747

www.ipgbook.com

If we could change ourselves,

The tendencies in the world would also change.

– Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.

– Marcus Aurelius

Life may change, but it may fly not;

Hope may vanish, but can die not;

Truth be veiled, but still it burneth;

Love repulsed – but it returneth.

– Percy Bysshe Shelley

Change is constant.

– Benjamin Disraeli

The times they are a-changin’

– Bob Dylan

Who made up words? who made up numbers?

And what kind of spell is mankind under?

–Nas & Damian Marley

Dedicated to We Are CHANGE worldwide and all our activist friends.

Acknowledgments

Iwould like to thank the following people for their guidance and support in publishing this important work: Kris Millegan at Trine Day, Cynthia McKinney, Vivienne Tailor, Wendy S. Painting, Cat McGuire, Andy Thomas, Donald Jeffries, Peter Dale Scott, John and Nisha Whitehead, Danny F. Quest, Roger Kenny, Scott Star, Manny Badillo and Tom Foti. Photos by Scott Star.

And thanks to the good friends I’ve made in the movement, especially Anthony Stefan, Briana G., Tony Reis, John Paul Harkins, Matt Lepacek, Sean Brown and Jonathan Ramirez. Thanks to my family for their support.

Cover art by Brian Kenny and Edward Bishop. Graffiti by Jason Yi

Edited by Vivienne Tailor

We Are CHANGE Photographs ©2015 Scott Star

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Epigraphs

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Photos

I LOVE WE ARE CHANGE!

Preface

My Awakening – Part 1

September 11, 2006: 9/11 Truth Breakthrough Weekend

Conference with David Miller

Breakthrough Press Conference & Concert

The Five Year Anniversary

We Are CHANGE is Born

Dan Wallace

2007

We Are CHANGE Splits from NY911Truth

Mission Statement & Code of Conduct

CODE OF CONDUCT:

Confronting the Bigwigs Part 1: Brzezinski

Confronting the Bigwigs Part 2: Rockefeller

We Are CHANGE Confronts Rudy Giuliani

Norman Mineta Confirms Cheney/9-11 Story

We Are CHANGE Visits Tax Protesters

Ed & Elaine Brown

We Are CHANGE Questions Michael Moore

Bloomberg’s Freedom of the Press Train Ride

September 11, 2007: Let’s Make History!

9/11 Truth Invades FOX News, Geraldo

Webster Hall Conference with John Feal

Truthstock – the Concert, John Schroeder

Judson Church with William Rodriguez

We Are CHANGE Confronts Alan Greenspan

We Are CHANGE Confronts Norman Podhoretz

We Are CHANGE Ambushes The Clintons

We Are CHANGE LA Ambushes Bill Maher

George Carlin Questions Received Reality

Martin Sheen Questions 9/11 We Are CHANGE LA

Halloween 2007 – A Spectacle

2008

WRC Confronts Tim Russert

We Are CHANGE Confronts Larry Silverstein

March 11, 2008: Carl Cameron, Bo Dietl, Phil Gramm & John McCain

Gary Hart Warns of New False-Flag Attack

We Are CHANGE Confronts Arnold Schwarzenegger

Bilderberg 2008, Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

WRC Meets Wrestling Star Chris Jericho

We Are CHANGE Confronts Barack Obama

WRC Confronts Joe & Mika

September 11, 2008: Now or Never!

Ground Zero Vigil & Rally, BBC Debunked

Judson Church Confab with Cynthia McKinney

Symposium & Hip-Hop Concert Benefit

We Are CHANGE Confronts Douglas Feith

Sara Palin Supports New 9/11 Investigation

WRC Confronts CNN’s Wolf Blitzer

We Are CHANGE Destroys Karl Rove

WRC Confronts 9/11 Commissioners

Lee Hamilton

Philip Zelikow

Richard Ben-Veniste

Bob Kerrey

2009

Jimmy Carter Supports New 9/11 Investigation

Luke & Others Arrested at Bloomberg Event

We Are CHANGE LA Confronts Joe Biden

WRC LA Delivers Scientific Evidence of Treason to Congress

9/11, 2009: The REAL CHANGE Conference

Friday, 9/11/09

Ground Zero ‘Steel Cross,’ Frank Silecchia

Jay-Z Concert Outreach & 3rd Day Start

REAL CHANGE Conference at Cooper Union

Tyranny at G20

We Are CHANGE Has Al Gore on the Run

2010 to Present

WRC Confronts Mike Bloomberg on the Radio

WRC Tampa Confronts George W. Bush

We Are CHANGE Confronts Dick Cheney

Confronting the Bigwigs – Part 3: Kissinger

Other Stories & Celebrity Encounters

Bob Saget

Paul Schaffer

Lou Dobbs

Anne Coulter

The Scum Chart

Mike Bloomberg and George Pataki

The Staten Island Ferry

The Boat Ride

The Boston Tea Party ‘07

We Are CHANGE Talks to America

James Gandolfini

Harry John Roland

NYCCAN & the Building What? Campaign

The Third Beam of Light on 9/11/10

Anonymous Character 1

Anonymous Character 2

My Awakening – Part 2: Conclusion

We Are CHANGE Timeline

We Are CHANGE Chapters

Small World – Deep State – Dark Swamp (Reflections on Trump)

9/11/07 One Police Plaza

9/11/09 Federal Hall

9/11/08 Brian Kenny & Cynthia McKinney

Foreword

I LOVE WE ARE CHANGE!

By Cynthia McKinney

Ilove We Are Change! I love We Are Change! because of what they stand for! I love We Are Change! because of what they do! I love We Are Change! because of who they are! I love We Are Change!

I love We Are Change! because of what they stand for: the right of every citizen to know what his or her government is doing with hard-earned tax dollars, and what actions that are being taken by certain government officials in the name of all taxpayers.

I love We Are Change! because of what they do: confront individuals given the privilege to act with authority as functionaries of the state and challenge them to tell the truth to the people to whom they are ultimately responsible – the people of the U.S. and the world – the people affected by those policies.

I love We Are Change! because of who they are: young adults all over the world now, but initially in the U.S., who removed the vision impairment of willful blindness and chose to learn what every citizen should know about the tragedy of September 11, 2001 and every other Deep State operation of the government of the United States of America. (Please see my discussion below of the U.S. Deep State.)

We Are Change! used tactics that I was forced to use, myself, in the U.S. Congress: tactics like ambush – because we all have discovered that the very policies that we have questions about are exactly the ones that these certain individuals don’t want to talk about, expect that you will know nothing about, and will run away from you if you ask them a question about some detail of the policy that they know, and that you know that they know.

When I stood up and asked for an independent investigation in the U.S. Congress, I was the first Representative to speak. If the National Transportation Safety Board investigated train wrecks and airplane crashes, certainly the events of September 11, 2001, deserved the same kind of rigorous investigation, and I wrote that. My op-ed was published – I thought that was a sign of success. And then Juliet Eilperin wrote a hit piece in the Washington Post that brought a media onslaught against me. From what I know about the CounterIntelligence Program (COINTELPRO), the media has from day one been a willing partner – indeed, a necessary partner – of government deception. And so it was with September 11th. And I got to see firsthand how it works and who is involved.

That is one benefit of engagement: you see who does what, and then you know who they really are, and what their function is in the public State and in the Deep State. A Deep Event takes place at the organization and direction of certain individuals who are placements in the Deep State. And the Deep State is the conglomeration of individuals inside and outside of official government positions who give direction to aspects of the State that are unknown to the general public, and about which they will lie if information surfaces about these actions. Deep State leaders prefer to act in secrecy. We Are Change! took exception to this secrecy and publicly challenged the mask of anonymity of Deep State actors whose actions go against the interests of the very people they are supposed to serve.

For example, the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an act of the U.S. Deep State. And James Earl Ray was the patsy used by it to blame for Dr. King’s murder. But in December 1999, a jury empaneled in Memphis, Tennessee, the city of Dr. King’s assassination, found that it was the United States government in conspiracy with certain individuals that really killed Dr. King. This shows that average, ordinary folks in the U.S., when given the facts, will draw the correct conclusions. Therefore, lying, obfuscation, propaganda, misdirection, disinformation, are all a part of the hide and seek game that the U.S. government has become to its own citizens. It is veritably impossible to know what one’s government is doing inside or outside of the country without deep research and a fairly keen understanding of the existence of a Deep State.

So, it would be the Deep State that would have planned and carried out the operation to kill Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Operation Lantern Spike was their work. And so, the lantern of human dignity that was the work of Dr. King was spiked by Deep State operators who believed that they knew more about what was in the interest of the people of the U.S. than the people themselves. In fact, the Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations With Respect to Intelligence Activities, known as the Church Committee, named after the Committee’s Chairman, Frank Church, found that illegal activities of the State were carried out by individual men, sometimes even for personal political purposes.

Had Operation Northwoods, the Pentagon plan to hijack planes and boats and to wreak terror on U.S. streets and blame these acts on Castro’s Cuba in order to justify war against Cuba, been approved by President John F. Kennedy, the public State would have decried these acts of terror and called for war against Cuba. But, President Kennedy turned the Pentagon’s request down and many believe that the Deep State then unleashed its vengeance on him. My dissertation committee member, Dr. Peter Dale Scott, originally theorized the existence of the Deep State and has found at least five instances in U.S. history when the Deep State revealed itself: September 11, 2001, is one of those instances, along with President George W. Bush’s Iraq War, and before that, Iran-Contra, Watergate, and the assassination of President Kennedy.

But these Deep State operations are rarely about the interests of the people and are more about the interpretation of these interests by certain individuals whose outlook is tainted by individual pecuniary interests that have been revealed in a few instances. Whistleblower Scott Bennett uncovered just such a policy of U.S. government Deep State insiders to finance certain Muslims whom we know publicly by newspaper and government accounts to be the very terrorists that the U.S. publicly is supposed to be fighting. Tasked by the Pentagon to work under Rabbi Dov Zakheim, Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer of the Pentagon at the time of September 11, 2001, Bennett discovered that this finance occurs through a network of Swiss bank accounts. Whistleblower Bennett was thrown in prison when he reported his findings to his Pentagon supervisors. He then tried to report this information to Congress, only to discover years later that the Congressional staff person to whom his reports initially went was the son of the Rabbi, Roger Zakheim, who was working on the Hill at that time as General Counsel and Deputy Staff Director of the House Armed Services Committee, one of the very committees with direct jurisdiction over Bennett’s findings. Therefore, many Members of Congress never saw Bennett’s reports.

The reason I love We Are Change! so much is because they took the time to do what average, ordinary citizens are supposed to do: learn about their government and what it is doing so that it can better represent their values. As far as I am concerned, the young people of We Are Change! are today’s true patriots; they are the modern-day equivalent of Paul Revere and his riders. They are sounding the alarm that the U.S. is under attack. The ever-evolving experiment of democracy that is the polity of the United States of America is in grave danger after having been consumed by new actors inside the Deep State who care not one whit about the people. I believe that this is the time when we must act or the full weight of tyranny will be unleashed upon us – a similar tyranny that the people of the United States have paid for and been silent about that was unleashed by the U.S. military on other peoples around the world. The Deep State has come full circle and is now feeding here at home. Like the Greeks, the people of the U.S. will have no place and no one to whom to turn – except each other. And so, a new kind of informed leader is needed right now. That is the gift that We Are Change! represents: a new kind of leadership for a time such as now.

We Are Change! fearlessly uncovered and revealed the rot that lies at the core of what has become the United States government. I remember being brought to tears as I watched Luke Rudkowski step out from the protection of the line of the rest of us and faced down the goons sent by the City of Denver to protect the Democratic National Committee Conventioneers from us – peaceniks who just want our government to tell us the truth and to act in accordance with our values. For me, it was a reminder of what the children in Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas must have faced when they were going to school after the Brown versus Board of Education Supreme Court decision that integrated U.S. public schools. The gravity of that moment came first to me as Luke led us in the chant, Whose streets? Our streets!

The We Are Change! spirit also went international. I have been with We Are Change! members in London (protesting U.S. criminal actions against innocent Muslims in Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and Bagram) and across Europe on 9/11 Truth issues. Now, it’s time for the visionary leaders of We Are Change! to become our members of Congress, our mayors, and our governors so that the vultures currently feasting at the carcass of U.S. democracy can be chased away – hopefully forever – and the imperfect government of the union of united states can return to its practices of perfecting this union and its democracy and become the United States of America of our hopes, values, and dreams.

The people will waken and listen to hear … the midnight message of Paul Revere.

– Henry Wadsorth Longfellow, 1861

Preface

What started as a small group of young friends in New York City quickly grew to one of the largest, most effective and prominent activist groups in the world. With over 260 chapters worldwide throughout the years, We Are CHANGE (hereafter referred to as WRC) would go on to inspire tens of thousands of people to take action around the globe. As WRC spread its message of truth, peace and accountability, people from all walks of life – all races, nationalities, religions, philosophies and political affiliations – would come together under one umbrella, inspiring a new era of grassroots political activism and citizen journalism. Our mission was to educate the public on the true state of world affairs by exposing corruption and to effect positive change through peaceful, non-violent methods. We would follow in the footsteps of great historical leaders and would embody the famous Gandhi quote, If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.

WRC impacted history and undoubtedly altered the political landscape. No longer could the powers-that-be perpetuate blatant lies that impact each one of us on a person level. These liars and their lies would no longer go unnoticed. People were beginning to wake up and those in power had to adjust their strategy accordingly. It was a true paradigm shift and a revolution in consciousness.

The basis of our approach included street actions and demonstrations, in which we educated the public by handing out literature and DVD documentaries and by simply talking with people one-on-one. These interactions, which became a regular occurrence for WRC members, took place at least once a week, usually all day Saturday when the majority of us were off from work. We were out in all weather conditions – rain or shine. I remember winter days so cold, tears streamed down our faces as we spoke to the public. But, we were full of spirit and passion.

Our next approach was journalistic. We organized press passes and brought video cameras to public (and sometimes private) events in order to interview notable public figures and confront corrupt politicians and media personnel. During the interviews, we would ask celebrities what they knew about our issues and try to educate them as best possible within the given opportunity. For example, WRC LA (our Los Angeles chapter) spoke to Golden Globe winning actor Martin Sheen during an anti-war rally on October 27, 2007. And for the first time, Sheen publicly voiced his support for a new 9/11 investigation. It was a big victory for the movement.

We confronted corrupt politicians making speeches, holding fundraisers and attending public events. We’d show up, wait for the perfect opportunity and ask the hard-hitting questions that the mainstream media refused to ask. If they wouldn’t talk to us, it could get ugly; things sometimes dissolved into an all-out righteous heckling, our expulsion and threats of or actual arrest. Our tactics became so effective that some officials began removing their itineraries from the Internet. But that was barely effective as members of their inner circle, being sympathetic to our cause, would release it to us discreetly. There’s nothing quite like attending a despicable propagandist’s fundraiser and causing a big stink, then enduring the response from their legions of brainwashed followers (think Walking Dead).

With careful planning and dynamic execution, we ambushed and took over mainstream media live TV broadcasts. Just wait until you read about the time we, with hundreds of activists, commandeered Geraldo at Large on FOX News live from Times Square and about the time WRC LA crashed Real Time with Bill Maher. Our viral videos accumulated hundreds of thousands of views and catalyzed masses of people to take action around the world.

Besides demonstrations and guerilla journalism, WRC was involved with charity and fundraising projects for the needy and less fortunate. We went on to raise thousands of dollars for the sick and dying 9/11 first responders year after year and became some of their biggest advocates. We went so far as to bring them to meet with elected officials on several occasions in Washington DC and other states in order to help pass important health care legislation. We broke major ground in bridging the 9/11 Truth Movement with the first responder community. We held toy-drives at Christmas for less fortunate children and would sometimes participate in soup kitchens around New York City.

Weekly democratic meetings were held with the purpose of discussing our progress and coming up with new, innovative outreach ideas. Our meetings started at delis, cafes and people’s houses; and as our reputation grew, better spaces became available from sympathetic business and real estate owners. We wrote a mission statement and code of conduct, which was agreed upon by everyone and strictly adhered to. The statement and code became important ideological documents.

Being a group of mostly young, tech-savvy individuals, the information war was also waged online. Countless hours were devoted to spreading our message on the Internet, mostly on Myspace in the early days and other forums. Our results varied, and we were sometimes met with hostility. But when we found and educated an unknowing, open-minded person, it was always worth it. There was the potential to get sucked into a never-ending debate online, which ultimately did not serve our purpose. The more effective method was to rapid-fire the information to as many as possible and to spend time with only those who were receptive to the message.

We were pioneers of live-streaming journalism on the Internet; and most of our confrontations and events were broadcast to many thousands. For one thing, it was great to share what we were doing in real time. For another, it offered a degree of protection, lest the confronted party or police infringe on our rights or abuse us in any way.

We tried many ideas over the years, including the short-lived WRC Newsletter and WRC TV, an online video podcast. Not every endeavor proved fruitful, but the point is that we tried new creative ways to get this critical message out to the public.

I myself am a proud founding member of WRC, along with Luke Rudkowski, cousins Dan Burke and Rob Hulsart and a few others. I was around before WRC’s inception and helped contribute to its greatest achievements. I’d become one of the group’s most loyal, devoted members and best video editors, making 22 videos in total. Some of my more powerful work would accumulate around 30,000 views each; and my best-viewed video would rank in at over 69,000. I’ve appeared in two documentary films on the movement – The Elephant in the Room and 9/11 Chronicles: Truth Rising. I’ve confronted over 15 high-level figures, including Zbigniew Brzezinski, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Bloomberg.

And I’ve personally broken major news stories within the movement. During my confrontation with former Colorado Senator Gary Hart, he warned that the U.S. could stage an event to justify war with Iran. It was a major revelation. I debunked a pair of disingenuous BBC reporters in a live debate; and I interviewed Frank Silecchia, the first responder who discovered the famous steel cross recovered from the Ground Zero rubble. During our discussion, he voiced his support for the first time publicly for the 9/11 Truth Movement.

We had our fair share of adversity. Although most people we tried to educate were respectful and open-minded, every now and then we encountered intense hostility on the streets for simply expressing our First Amendment right to freedom of speech. We were, at times, spit on and assaulted. Luke even received death threats early on – but they only served to embolden his actions.

During one demonstration at Ground Zero, a suited man (who identified himself as a police officer) tried, while on camera, to set up Luke as a terrorist.

I think he’s got a bomb in his bag, the stranger said. I saw wires coming out of there; I think he’s got a bomb in his bag. Terrorist act, I guess they go away for about 30 days.

We’re not terrorists. We’re Americans, sir. We’re citizens, replied Luke.

Well, you’re right. But by the time the government figures it out, you’ll be in the hole for 30 days.

Several activists, particularly filmmakers, have had their homes and hotel rooms broken into and their equipment stolen. We were met with professional debunkers, online and in person, who were in fact nothing more than smear artists with ulterior motives. Devoting entire blogs to vitriolic ramblings, they watched our every move and waited for any small mistake to harp on and discredit us.

We attracted a number of outright lunatics in the movement, who may or may not have been CounterIntelligence (COINTEL), an undercover government agent consciously working to spy on and discredit us or an actual victim of mind-control. They would often promote fringe theories and viciously attack whoever dare disagree. One such individual, in a psychotic rage, actually bit the nose of one of our best members on camera. Another guy, who had been with our movement from the beginning before a falling out, later showed up to cause drama at our 9/11 anniversary vigil at Ground Zero – he was dressed in a lizard costume, an apparent reference to a conspiracy theory about shape-shifting, blood-drinking reptilian aliens. There were also agent provocateurs who tried to incite violence, but they were always the most transparent and ineffective opponents.

Paranoia ran amuck. There are countless online videos and forum posts accusing certain activists of being everything from COINTEL to Zionist gate-keepers to reptilians who are trying to derail the movement. Whether or not these people actually believe what they espouse is questionable. In 2008, a member of Obama’s administration, Cass Sunstein, co-wrote a paper called Conspiracy Theories. In it, he actually proposed that the government infiltrate peaceful grassroots activist groups to spy on them.

Luke would later confront him on this, to which Sunstein rather lamely replied, I’ve written hundreds of articles, and I remember some and not others. That one, I don’t remember very well, I hope I didn’t say that [laughs]… There are a lot of things I’ve written I guess, and more things I’m said to have written. I may agree with some of the things I’ve written, but I’m not exactly sure [laughs]. I focus on what my boss wants me to do.

In 2010 and 2011, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League issued reports categorizing WRC as an extremist hate group and even lumped us in with racist, violent groups such as Neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan (although clarifying that we are a non-racist hate group). This characterization could not be further from the truth and amounts to slander. Our mission statement clearly states that we are non-violent, peaceful and do not discriminate in any way, shape or form.

And finally, we’ve encountered tragedy with the passing of one of our early members, 23-year-old Dan Wallace. Dan lost his father, a fireman, on 9/11 and eventually began to question the events of that day. He gave impassioned speeches and was becoming a key player and driving force in WRC. Sadly, he passed away shortly after joining, but his spirit, having inspired a whole generation of grassroots activists, lives on.

Despite such hardships, WRC was an incredibly uplifting experience in so many ways. I met some of my very best friends in the movement, and our friendships continue to this day. Meeting so many like-minded, caring, conscious individuals, old and young, was a reason to have hope and to feel grateful. There was a true sense of community and belonging and a network of support. There was a righteous excitement in the air. We knew we were doing the right thing and our actions would go down in history.

And then there were the parties. Some of my fondest memories involve partying and socializing, on rooftops and indoors, with my activist friends all sharing good drinks and music. Naturally, many activists were also musicians, and we had all-night sing-alongs, as well as some of the most deep, profound conversations imaginable. And with WRC being so connected and beloved, we had access to the very best parties throughout the city, especially during holidays like the 4th of July and New Year’s Eve.

Being involved with WRC, there was always something fun to do – not to mention the love connections. This movement attracted some of the most beautiful, intelligent, good-hearted young people. And most of us already shared a special bond through our cause and ideology, so it was easy to make those kinds of connections. This was especially true during our landmark 9/11 anniversary events when hundreds of activists traveled to New York City from around the country and the world to take part in fundraisers, conferences and marches hosted by us.

The purpose of this book is to document the incredible story of WRC, with a focus on our NYC chapter, from its inception in 2006. Along the way, we bridged several political movements and became a leading force within them, including the 9/11 Truth & Health Movement, the antiwar movement, the Liberty/Patriot Movement and Occupy Wall Street. Events are covered in mostly chronological order. In some sections I do jump around a bit if separate events are closely related. Included is the first-ever WRC Timeline, an important historical document missing until now. And a section toward the end, Small World – Deep State – Dark Swamp, by Wendy S. Painting, shares our thoughts on Donald Trump’s presidency.

Also included are YouTube video titles pertaining to the events, and the amount of views they got. When editing this manuscript, there was a lot of discussion regarding how to revise the YouTube video formatting for consistency. You will see various forms of spacing and other punctuation in the YouTube video access names. We debated altering them, but then we realized that this could cause confusion for readers and could lead readers to the wrong video. We decided that the most important thing remains getting the right message to the people and decided to forgo strictly editing the YouTube video formatting. Also, note that view numbers are based on Fall 2014 statistics.

Throughout this story, I’ll write in-depth about the most interesting and important events in WRC history, and you can refer to the timeline for a more comprehensive account, which includes brief descriptions of each event. One mistake we made was that we didn’t carefully document the exact date of each event; so it’s sometimes hard to tell exactly when things happened. However, we can get a pretty good idea based on when the story was first publicized.

I do not intend for this book to be a research project or a piece of investigative journalism in and of itself. I do refer to a variety of top-notch sources and reporters that we trust; and I implore you, the reader, to do your own research into these matters if you feel so compelled. My goal is not to convince you of the veracity of this information but to exemplify the personal power within each and every one of us to effect positive change. As I cover the facts surrounding the issues, I try not to make any definitive assertions, other than what I know to be absolute fact. This is the information we accepted at the time, and enough of us found it reliable enough to act on it. We may not have always been right on every single issue, but I do believe our overall message and cause was entirely justified, necessary and altruistic.

I choose not to get into the nitty-gritty of any drama or fighting within the movement. The most critical issues will be covered; however, my focus will be on fruits of our accomplishments, the progress we made towards our goals and the positive change we inspired worldwide. I do not wish to rehash old contentions, but rather to remind us of the incredible heights we achieved and how we all courageously contributed to this historic feat in the face of such adversity.

At the time of this writing, WRC has had over 260 chapters worldwide with 179 in the U.S. and with 85 in places as far-reaching as Argentina, Bangladesh, China, Japan and South Africa.

CHAPTER ONE

My Awakening – Part 1

On September 11, 2001, I was in college in midtown Manhattan when disaster struck. I was 19 years old. I remember gathering in the auditorium with other students to watch the news and shedding tears of disbelief as I saw footage of the towers being destroyed. Others cried in horror. I later had to walk home over the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn because all public transportation had been shut down. I could see and smell the smoke billowing from downtown. I was covered in dust when I got home.

My Aunt Annette was a survivor who narrowly escaped the towers before the first collapse. And her fireman son, my cousin, Jason Ribisi, was a first responder who spent months at Ground Zero helping with the rescue effort. As a native New Yorker, I was deeply affected by the events of that day – more so even than most of my friends and classmates. Compelled to help in any way possible, I made an effort to donate blood in the immediate aftermath. For weeks after the event, I wore an American flag bandana and felt a deep sense of compassion and patriotism. How could this happen to us? I couldn’t make sense of it all. As time went by, I felt a lingering sense that the whole thing was somehow unresolved.

That faded in time and life resumed as normal. I had no inkling that I was missing a major piece of the puzzle. Then, one day a few years later, probably around 2004 or ‘05, I was hanging out with some friends.

One of them, Dennis, who worked with me at Starbucks at the time, said, Did you hear that a missile hit the Pentagon?

What? No, I replied.

He then proceeded to show us a short video on the Internet proposing that a missile, not a plane, had actually crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11.

Although interested, I was unconvinced. However, I began thinking about the implications of this scenario.

But if the Pentagon was a lie, I said, "that means … the whole thing was a lie."

Well, yeah, he replied, with a laugh.

That was the first time I was confronted with the possibility that we were lied to about what happened on 9/11. It didn’t rock my world, and it wasn’t really Earth shattering – probably because I was still unconvinced by the short Internet video presented by a wisecracking friend. But it definitely gave me pause for thought.

I pretty much forgot about the whole thing after that. But sometime in 2006, I was on Myspace and one of my friends, a guy I trusted and respected greatly, posted a documentary called Loose Change: 2nd Edition. I watched the entire film and was presented with an abundance of information that contradicts many aspects of the official 9/11 story.

The film was compelling, hard hitting and well produced. It covered insider trading and foreknowledge, the response of our air defense system (NORAD), conflicting news reports about the alleged hijackers, the Pentagon strike, Flight 93, and the destruction of the Twin Towers and WTC Building 7. Loose Change One and Two would eventually be viewed over 50 million times, making it one of the most watched movies on the Internet.

I knew the film may not be 100% accurate, but if even part of it was accurate then we had a big problem on our hands. At that point, I was absolutely fascinated but still unconvinced. I wanted to learn more, so I went to Google Video and simply typed in 9/11 truth. The search yielded a treasure trove of incredible documentaries on the subject – many by a guy named Alex Jones.

Alex is a radio personality, journalist and documentary filmmaker from Austin, Texas. In terms of alternative media, his website at infowars.com is one of the top outlets in the world and has helped grow a number of other outlets, including WRC. I will state this right off the bat – Alex has become extremely polarizing in recent years largely due to his support for and relationship with Donald Trump, leaving many in the movement feeling disappointed and betrayed, myself included. He even had Trump on his program leading up to the 2016 election. (Trump will be discussed in a later section). Having said that, Alex was an integral part in the story of WRC and will be treated as such. His earlier work on 9/11 and the police state was powerful and inspired many of us at that time. Helping to facilitate grassroots growth, he would eventually promote us to his large, national audience.

The most shocking of Alex’s films, to me, was actually not about 9/11; it was one made before then. It was called Dark Secrets Inside Bohemian Grove, which exposed how every year, high-ranking government officials and industry leaders meet in the redwood forest of Sonoma County, CA, and observe a strange occult ritual called the Cremation of Care. This mock-human sacrifice takes place with men in hooded robes in front of a giant, 40-foot tall owl statue. Complete with screams of terror and mad laughter, a creepy amplified voice narrates the ominous affair. Some of the other reports and rumors of what happens at the Grove are equally shocking. Richard Nixon is on tape discussing its bizarre reputation.

Other researchers whose work I enjoy include Jim Marrs, Jordan Maxwell and David Icke. Although they venture into some very strange areas, the body of their work is profound, thought provoking and inspiring.

I would also like to mention the late, great filmmaker and researcher, Aaron Russo. Once a famous producer of entertaining films such as Trading Places, he blew the lid off the corrupt Federal Reserve System and IRS in his ground-breaking 2006 documentary America: Freedom to Fascism. Issues surrounding the Federal Reserve System and IRS would also become key focal points for WRC and the Liberty Movement.

Alex Jones’ films dealt mostly with government corruption, and Loose Change covered some of the more controversial issues surrounding 9/11. But I would later find what I considered to be irrefutable, ironclad proof that we were lied to about what happened on 9/11. The film 9/11 Press For Truth focused on interviews of victims’ family members about their dissatisfaction and outrage with the 9/11 Commission. According to widow Laurie Van Auken, 70 percent of their questions remained unanswered by the final commission report. Critical eyewitness testimony that challenged the official story was omitted.

The investigation was resisted by the Bush Administration from the very beginning. Even commission co-chairmen Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton would later reveal they were set up to fail with a lack of funding, time, resources and cooperation. One commissioner, former Senator Max Cleland, even resigned, calling it a national scandal.

And John Farmer, the senior counsel to the commission, stated …at some level of the government, at some point in time … there was an agreement not to tell the truth about what happened.

Bush first appointed Henry Kissinger as executive director, but the family members demanded he step down because of his business ties with the Bin Ladens. Bush then appointed Philip Zelikow, an insider of his administration who wrote a draft memo for the setup of the National Security Counsel. He also wrote the pre-emptive war strategy for Iraq and was a close friend of Condoleezza Rice, Bush’s Secretary of State. The family members demanded he step down as well, but were ignored.

Bob McIlvaine, who lost his son Bobby on 9/11, states at the end of the film, I’m so pissed off at the government because of this cover-up.

It’s one thing to come across conspiracy theories on the Internet propagated by filmmakers and journalists. It’s another to hear facts and evidence presented by victims’ family members and survivors – those most closely affected by 9/11. They have credibility and are not speculating from a distance. One of our main talking points in WRC was that the 9/11 Truth Movement was started by victims’ family members demanding a new impartial, unbiased investigation. In 2006, Bill Doyle, head of the Coalition of 9/11 families, stated that about half the members believed there was government complicity in the attacks.

I later came across an incredible website called patriotsquestion911.com, which documents and compiles all the family members, survivors, military and government officials, professors, architects, engineers, pilots, etc., who publicly question the official story. There are hundreds of people in each category of this comprehensive list. This is one of the best resources, and I recommend this and 9/11 Press For Truth as a starting point for anyone new to the subject. Several organizations have formed over the years, including Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, Pilots for 9/11 Truth, Scholars for 9/11 Truth, Lawyers for 9/11 Truth and Firefighters for 9/11 Truth.

Other great 9/11 researchers include Kevin Ryan, David Ray Griffin and Steven E. Jones. Scientific studies have been published in academic journals verifying their claims. And 9/11 survivor and hero William Rodriguez tells an amazing story of witnessing explosions in the basement of the WTC before either plane had hit. He personally rescued 15 people on 9/11 and was even honored at the White House five times in the immediate aftermath. Reaching millions with his message, he’s traveled the world and appeared on international television programs to tell his story with survivors to back up his claims.

Another key issue surrounding 9/11 was the treatment of the tens of thousands of heroic first responders who rushed in from all around the country to help in any way they could. First of all, they were lied to about the air quality by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and were told it was safe to breathe. Secondly, the majority of first responders we encountered told the same story of not enough medical coverage or financial aid to help as they endure life-threatening ailments and conditions. Often without means or resources, their families and friends have had to foot the hefty medical bills.

The government was quick to use these brave heroes to promote its political agenda but then later would not take care of them and even resisted their pleas. One first responder we interviewed at Ground Zero, Jim LaPenna, told us that Bloomberg was actually using their funds to pay lawyers to fight against them in court. This video was one of the first I made.

[YouTube: WeAreCHANGE Interviews Jim LaPenna, 9-11 First Responder]

By this point, I was convinced that there was more to 9/11 than we were told – there was a national cover-up. I remember, on the one hand, feeling incredibly betrayed, duped and outraged, but on the other, everything started to make sense and fit into place. This is why we faced so many problems in our country and in the world – it’s because the people in power do not have our best interests at heart and are steering it that way. There was (and is) a more sinister, hidden agenda at play.

It was late August 2006, just weeks before the fifth anniversary of 9/11, when I decided to take action. I looked online for others in New York City working for the cause. I came across a group called NY911Truth, whose activists, equipped with signs, banners, and binders and folders full of facts and information, demonstrated at Ground Zero on a weekly basis by handing out flyers and DVDs. Their headquarters were at St. Marks Church in the East Village. It was an interesting bunch, consisting of mostly older folks who observed films and lectures. There were some younger people who did the majority of the outreach and street actions.

And, of course, there were a number of nutty characters and agitators who were sometimes referred to as froot loops. One guy claimed to be an actual futuristic cyborg like the Terminator. For years he upheld the wild assertion. He once nearly died laughing as he showed us a video of a wrestler called The Boogieman, who smashed a clock over his head and ate a fistful of worms. This person, who simply had a few quirks and eccentricities, happened to be a stellar activist and a great asset to our group.

The group was headed by Les Jamieson, Frank Morales, Tom Foti, Luke Rudkowski and others. Young Luke would go on to become a founder and figurehead of WRC.

Luke, with an inner city, hip-hop edge, was a slender, young Polish immigrant with short, blond hair living in Brooklyn. I believe he was around 20 years old at that time. Prior to his involvement in the movement, he had been a victim of police brutality, and he had sought justice but never received it. While this naturally contributed to issues with authority, it also fueled his passion. Upon first impression, he was rough around the edges. It’s partly what made him such a great guerilla journalist.

Luke became a leader within the movement, appearing in numerous films, videos, newscasts and radio shows, and inspiring countless people to take action around the world. His confrontations with high-level political figures and oppressive armored officers are among the best. He would eventually travel the world to cover major stories, often risking his own safety and livelihood, sometimes suffering serious consequences. And he, marred by all manner of accusation from activists and pundits alike, would also become the subject of controversy.

I became good friends with Luke and visited his home on several occasions. I was struck by the many pictures of historic revolutionaries hanging on his walls, including Malcolm X, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tom Foti was a clean-cut, middle-aged gentleman with short, brown hair. Technically part of the older crowd, but every bit as energetic in his pursuit of truth, he was the ideal activist in many ways – smart, articulate, brave, well researched, dedicated and motivated. With a booming voice, he gave impassioned speeches that inspired many over the years. And he was also an all-around great guy – kind, caring and humorous. While many within the movement would embody these characteristics, Tom was especially noteworthy. It was no wonder he took on such a prominent role early on. In his spare time, he was a musician and an actor.

From the time I arrived, I heard rumblings that all was not well within the leadership of NY911Truth. Rumors of deceit and coercion were rampant, and these issues would cause the ultimate secession of many members who would form WRC. But in late August and early September 2006, we were united with the purpose of bringing truth to New York City for the fifth anniversary of 9/11 and would succeed in planning and hosting the biggest 9/11 Truth events to date.

September 11, 2006: 9/11 Truth Breakthrough Weekend

Educate and inform the whole mass of the people.... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.

– Thomas Jefferson

The stage was set for 9/11/06, with five days of major events planned to be hosted by NY911Truth (a sixth day would be added last minute). Luke had the best connections and would bring our biggest draws – Alex Jones and Louder Than Words (the crew that made Loose Change). We called it 9/11 Truth Breakthrough Weekend and here lists the schedule of events.

Note that the sidebar text is copied, with minor edits for clarification or consistency, from their original press releases.

I attended all the events and brought as many friends and family members as possible. I was determined to help make this a huge success.

At the time, I was listening to the album Living With War by Neil Young. Released earlier that year, it railed against the Bush Administration and the Iraq War in total protest, which totally jived with my feelings and actions. The entire album was written and recorded over only nine days. I was also listening to the great, classic folk guitarist, Mississippi John Hurt. This was the soundtrack to my September 2006 events.

9/11 Truth Breakthrough Weekend

Friday, Sept. 8

St. Marks Church

2nd Ave. & 10th Street

7pm

Donation: $7

Doors open 6:15pm, program begins at 7pm

9/11 As Pretext For Afghanistan and Iraq Invasions

Alfons Olzsewski, 9/11 Vets For Truth

Korey Rowe, producer of Loose Change 2

Elaine Brower, member of World Can’t Wait with a son currently in Iraq

9/11 and the U.S. – Israeli Master Plan for the Middle East

Ralph Schoenman, from WBAI’s Taking Aim

Saturday, Sept. 9th

Outreach Action

Union Square

11:30am NYC 9/11 Grassroots Action

We’re calling for hundreds of people to come participate in a huge outreach action to leaflet at least 7 areas of Manhattan. We will gather by the George Washington statue at the south side of Union Square along 14th Street to pick up literature, and then spread out to areas such as Herald Square, the NY Public Library, Columbus Circle, Washington Sq. Park, and Ground Zero. Activists from NY 911 Truth will coordinate.

Community Church

40 East. 35th Street, between Park & Madison Avenues

3pm – 5:30pm

Donation for full day of events: $8

9/11: Where the Evidence Leads

Speakers: Jim Marrs, Barb Honegger, Tom Foti, Barry Chamish, Howie Hawkins, Sander Hicks, Chris Emery

5:30pm – 7pm

Dinner break

7pm – 9:30pm

New York Stories

First Responders Craig Bartmer, Kevin McPadden, Mike McCormick and David Miller

Sunday, Sept. 10th

The Great Hall at Cooper Union

7th St. between 4th and 3rd Avenues

1pm – 5pm

Price of $12 + $2 service fee for the full day will include a free Investigate 9/11 T-shirt given at the event.

9/11 Truth Press Conference

Education track: Judy Wood, Steven Jones, Jim Fetzer, Jesse Richard (cont.)

9/11 Truth Breakthrough Weekend (cont.)

Ralph Schoenman, Jim Marrs, Wayne Madsen, Faiz Kahn

Solution track: Kevin Barrett, Ian Wood, Bob Bowman, Barrie Zwicker, William Pepper, Craig Hill, Lynn Pentz, Carl Person, Les Jamieson, Jason Bermas

5:00pm – 6:30pm

Dinner break

6:30pm – 10:00pm

Movement Progress Report delivered by Alex Jones

Sneak preview of final cut of Loose Change, containing new interviews and research and comments by producers Dylan Avery, Jason Berman and Korey Rowe

Special performance by hip-hop artist Immortal Technique

Monday, Sept. 11th

Ground Zero, corner of Fulton and Church Streets

8am – 2:00pm

Ground Zero Rally For Truth

We will gather at Ground Zero wearing black T-shirts that say: Investigate 9/11, which you’ll be able to get on Sunday at Cooper Union.

IMPORTANT: We must stress that our intention is to be