Bill Cammack

Just got word from Kenyatta Cheese that Brian Conley & Jeff Rae are on the way home from China:

“We just got word that Brian and friends are on a plane to Los Angeles, arriving Monday morning. He was released with 7 other US citizen detainees: Jeff Goldin, Tom Grant, Mike Liss, James Powderly, Jeff Rae, John Watterberg and Jeremy Wells.”

Read Kenyatta’s entire post in the comments of rocketboom.com/rb_08_aug_21/.

Previous posts on this subject:
Citizen Journalists detained in China
Brian Conley & Jeff Rae updates
Ten Days in a Chinese Jail
Brian & Jeff update

Good.

Please return your seats to the upright position…

We now return you to our regularly scheduled partying! :D

Sorry for the delay, to those of you that have asked me if there has been any more news about Brian Conley & Jeff Rae. Kenyatta Cheese posted this yesterday to www.rocketboom.com/rb_08_aug_21/comments:

“Around 5 am US Eastern Standard Time Brian’s family received calls from the US Embassy in Beijing. An Embassy representative had visited Brian and the 5 other detainees, and we were assured that they were doing ok.

Brian had written messages to different family members and he seemed in good spirits. He seems to be coping well with the situation and is finding solace and distraction in speaking Arabic with another detainee!

All 6 men are being held with other international detainees, though not all together. They are in rooms of about 10 people each.

The Embassy expects they will be released and deported without incident at the end of their 10 day sentence, on August 30.”

Here’s a video by Rocketboom about the situation:

Rocketboom link: http://www.rocketboom.com/rb_08_aug_21/
YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cBi6AuBQiw

Previous posts on this subject:
Citizen Journalists detained in China
Brian Conley & Jeff Rae updates
Ten Days in a Chinese Jail

Sounds like a movie title, doesn’t it? :) Nope. Unfortunately, that was the verdict handed down for Brian Conley, Jeff Rae and four other Americans who were detained in Beijing for “upsetting public order”.

From the AFP article: [link]

“In a brief faxed statement, the city police information department said “Thomas” and five other foreigners had been apprehended on Tuesday for “upsetting public order”, without identifying the six people any further.”

Read a statement from Brian’s wife, Eowyn @ Dan Patterson’s blog
Read more about this situation @ beijing6.org
Read the Washington Post article: China Says 6 Americans Detained Over Protest Could Be Held 10 Days
Read the New York Times article: China Gives 6 American Protesters 10-Day Detentions

Previous posts:
Brian Conley & Jeff Rae updates
Citizen journalists detained in China

No word yet about Brian Conley & Jeff Rae, who were detained in Beijing approximately 60 hours ago. Nathan DeFreitas posted an update link on my previous post, “Citizen Journalists detained in China” which says:

“… but the Chinese government under law has 72 hours before it is required to notify an embassy about foreign nationals who have been detained.”

So, hopefully, we’ll have word by this evening, EST.

Articles/Updates:

1 Update August 21: Artist and Five Citizen Journalists, Activists Arrested in Beijing
2 Two local men out to tape protests arrested in Beijing
3 Brian Conley, aka Alive in Baghdad, Detained in Beijing
4 Brian Conley detained by Chinese Public Security Bureau
5 Alive in Baghdad Creator Detained in China
6 Five American Protesters Detained in Beijing
My post from yesterday: Citizen Journalists detained in China

BoingBoing reports that Brian Conley & Jeff Rae were detained yesterday in Beijing, China.
[Click here to read the BoingBoing article]
[Click here for a Reuters article]
[Click here for a New York Times article]

Good Luck, Fellaz. Safe return home!

A couple of pics of us hanging out in NYC last year:

Brian Conley, Andy Carvin, Chuck Olsen, Bill Cammack & Josh Cohen

Jeff Rae & Bill Cammack